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Rocket Lab Closes 2025 With Record 21 Electron Launches, Deploys iQPS SAR Satellite

The year closed with an iQPS radar satellite delivered to a 575‑kilometer, 42‑degree orbit.

Overview

  • An Electron launched Dec. 21 from New Zealand on the 'The Wisdom God Guides' mission, carrying iQPS’s QPS‑SAR‑15 to low Earth orbit.
  • Rocket Lab reports 21 Electron launches in 2025 with 100% mission success, marking the company’s 79th Electron mission overall.
  • iQPS said the spacecraft made post‑deployment contact with controllers after insertion into its target orbit.
  • Electron has deployed seven iQPS satellites since 2023, and five additional dedicated iQPS launches are contracted starting in 2026.
  • This year’s total includes three HASTE suborbital flights; December featured JAXA and U.S. Space Force missions while two NEONSAT‑1A attempts were scrubbed, and the next Electron flight is planned for early Q1 2026.