Rocket Lab Schedules Fifth Electron Mission for Constellation Operator iQPS
Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) ("Rocket Lab" or "the Company"), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced the launch window for its next mission for multi-launch customer, Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS), a Japan-based Earth imaging company – marking Electron's 69th mission to date and 11th launch this year.
The mission, named ‘The Harvest Goddess Thrives', is scheduled to launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand during a launch window that opens on August 5, 2025 UTC. The mission will deploy QPS-SAR-12, nicknamed KUSHINADA-I for the Japanese goddess of harvest and prosperity, to a 575km circular Earth orbit to join the rest of the QPS-SAR constellation in providing high resolution synthetic aperture radar images and Earth monitoring services globally.
‘The Harvest Goddess Thrives' will be the fifth mission deployed on Electron for iQPS, following previous successful missions ‘The Moon God Awakens' in December 2023 as well as ‘The Lightning God Reigns', ‘The Sea God Sees' and ‘The Mountain God Guards' in 2025. Three more dedicated iQPS missions are scheduled to launch on Electron through the remainder of this year and into 2026.
This upcoming launch falls within a year of records for Rocket Lab, which continues to demonstrate consistent responsive launch capabilities and operational excellence amid a steadily increasing launch cadence. Achieving 100% mission success for all Electron launches this year, Rocket Lab continues to solidify its position as the global leader in dedicated small satellite launches for commercial, civil, and government missions, all while preparing for the anticipated debut of its medium-lift reusable Neutron rocket.
‘The Harvest Goddess Thrives' launch information: https://rocketlabcorp.com/missions/next-mission
‘The Harvest Goddess Thrives' launch window opens:
- 11:45 pm Eastern, August 4th
- 8:45 pm Pacific, August 4th
- 03:45 UTC, August 5th
- 3:45 pm NZT, August 5th
About Rocket Lab
Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle, a family of flight proven spacecraft, and the Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for constellation deployment. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered 200+ satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab's family of spacecraft have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia. To learn more, visit www.rocketlabcorp.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding our launch and space systems operations, launch schedule and window, safe and repeatable access to space, Neutron development, operational expansion and business strategy, are forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "potential," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "strategy," "future," "could," "would," "project," "plan," "target," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the factors, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of our website at https://investors.rocketlabcorp.com which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management's estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
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Rocket Lab Media Contact
Murielle Baker
media@rocketlabusa.com