Rocket Lab Corporation, a global leader in launch services and space systems, announced the successful launch of its 21st Electron mission of the year, deploying a new satellite for multi-launch customer Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS), a Japan-based Earth imaging company.
The mission, titled ‘The Wisdom God Guides,’ lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand on December 21 at 7:36 p.m. local time (06:36 UTC). The Electron rocket successfully deployed the QPS-SAR-15 satellite into orbit, adding to iQPS’ growing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation. Once operational, the spacecraft will support near real-time Earth observation services across twelve orbital planes, serving customers worldwide.
Rocket Lab’s long-standing partnership with iQPS began in 2023 and has since resulted in the successful deployment of seven satellites for the company’s SAR constellation. Electron has become iQPS’ primary launch vehicle, with an additional five Electron missions already planned for 2026 to support continued constellation expansion.
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This latest launch establishes a new annual record for Electron, marking 21 successful missions in a single year with a perfect mission success rate. The milestone reinforces Electron’s position as the most frequently launched small-lift orbital rocket globally and the leading small launch provider in the United States.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, says: “Congratulations to iQPS on this latest successful mission for their constellation, and to the Rocket Lab team on a fantastic record-setting year of Electron launches. Electron makes frequent and reliable launch look easy as it outpaces all other American small-lift orbital rockets, year after year. In 2026 we’re expanding Electron’s global reach with more multi-launch constellation deployments, dedicated missions for domestic civil space and international space agencies in Japan and Europe, and both suborbital and orbital launches with defense applications for hypersonic technology and national security. Our new record of annual launches and the breadth of upcoming missions goes to show how much of a global impact Electron continues to have on the space industry, and we’re looking forward to another year of continued execution in 2026.”