Rocket Lab Electron Launches Japanese Earth-imaging Satellite In 'The Mountain God Guards' Mission

Rocket Lab launched the 11th QPS-SAR(Synthetic-Aperture Radar) satellite, Yamatsumi-I, into orbit for Japanese company iQPS, at 1531 UTC on June 11, from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, completing the Rocket's Lab's 66th Electron mission.

The launch sequence included the first stage MECO (Main Engine Cut Off), followed by the second stage SECO (Second Engine Cut Off), and the separation of the Kick Stage, which deployed Yamatsumi-I into a circular orbit 575 kilometers above Earth roughly 51 minutes after launch.

"For the first time in history, you can hear what a 2nd stage sounds like with our new live audio from space. We use structure born vibe to recreate audio. Listen for stage sep, electric pumps spool up and ignition. Pretty cool!" Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck wrote on X.

Yamatsumi-1 will join iQPS' SAR constellation, which views targets on Earth in all weather conditions, day and night.

"To date, 10 QPS-SAR satellites have been launched, and iQPS aims to establish a constellation of 36 satellites," Rocket Lab wrote in a mission mission description.

"This will enable the delivery of a 'NearReal-Time Data Provisioning Service,' allowing for the observation of specific regions worldwide at an average interval of 10 minutes," the company added. "This will make it possible to collect continuous images as data, and to accumulate data not only on 'Stationary Objects' such as land and buildings, but also on 'Moving Objects' such as vehicles, ships, and cattle and livestock."

Rocket Lab has now launched four missions for iQPS (which is short for "Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space"), and there are more to come: Today's flight was the third of eight contracted missions for iQPS expected to lift off in 2025 and 2026, according to Rocket Lab.

Rocket Lab called this mission "The Mountain God Guards," a reference to the QPS-SAR-11 satellite's nickname, Yamatsumi-1, which honors a Japanese god of the mountains.

"MISSION SUCCESS! Electron has deployed its 227th payload to space and latest satellite for the iQPS constellation. Congratulations to @QPS_Inc and the Electron team on another flawless launch," Rocket Lab wrote on X.