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 forecast calls for a temperature of 55°F, overcast clouds, 100% cloud cover and a wind speed of 12mph.
‘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.
