Rocket Lab’s 21st Electron of 2025 Deploys iQPS QPS-SAR-15, Capping 100% Success Year
Rocket Lab remains iQPS’s primary launcher after seven constellation deployments since 2023.
Overview
- An Electron lifted off Dec. 21 from Mahia, New Zealand to place QPS-SAR-15 into a 575-kilometer, 42-degree orbit for Japanese radar-imaging company iQPS.
- The mission was Rocket Lab’s 79th Electron flight and its final scheduled launch of 2025, with the next Electron launch slated for early Q1 2026.
- Rocket Lab reports a company-record 21 Electron launches this year with 100% mission success.
- Six of iQPS’s seven Electron launches occurred in 2025, and five additional Electron missions for iQPS are contracted from 2026.
- December flights also included a JAXA technology demonstration from New Zealand and four DiskSat satellites for the U.S. Space Force from Virginia, highlighting expanding civil and defense activity.