The 'Nation God Navigates' mission lifted off from Rocket Lab Complex 1 in New Zealand at 19:51 UTC on November 5, sending the satellite to a 575km circular orbit. Following a new multi-launch deal, Rocket Lab plans six more Electron flights to further develop the iQPS constellation in low Earth orbit.
Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab CEO, said, "Success in the space industry boils down to precision and repeatability. This latest mission for iQPS once again demonstrates the pinpoint accuracy our customers depend on to grow their constellations, and we're grateful to the iQPS team for trusting us with their launch needs. With six seamless deployments for iQPS in the books, Electron is ready for the next six."
Dr. Shunsuke Onishi, CEO of iQPS, stated, "We are pleased to announce the successful deployment of QPS-SAR-14 'YACHIHOKO-I', marking our fifth successful launch this year. This milestone reflects the steady advancement of our technology and the growth of our team. We sincerely thank the Electron team and all our members for their outstanding work. With this success, we move closer to realizing our vision of near real-time Earth observation and delivering greater value to society."
This was Electron's 16th launch in 2025, matching the company's highest launch count in a single year, set in 2024. More Electron missions are scheduled before the end of the year as Rocket Lab prepares for the initial flight of its Neutron medium-lift launcher.
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