The “RAISE And Shine” mission successfully deployed JAXA’s RAISE-4 technology demonstration satellite from New Zealand, marking Rocket Lab’s first dedicated launch for the Japanese space agency.

The company validated a captive fairing system designed to remain attached through ascent and landing, enabling rapid reuse and reducing handling complexity for high-cadence orbital missions.

The Nation God Navigates mission by Rocket Lab deployed the SAR satellite YACHIHOKO-I to a 575 km orbit; six more iQPS missions are planned.

Two Electron launches from New Zealand will deploy JAXA’s RAISE-4 spacecraft and a rideshare of eight satellites, showcasing Japan’s cutting-edge satellite technologies and origami-inspired deployable antenna.

Each mission will carry a single satellite to form part of iQPS’ planned constellation of 36 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites that are capable of collecting images through cloud and at night with a high resolution of less than a meter.

Rocket Lab’s new medium-lift reusable rocket Neutron, designed to carry payloads of up to 13,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit, will support NASA missions, including CubeSats, Class D missions, and other orbital deployments.

Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket will deploy eight OroraTech satellites to a 550km orbit within four months, enhancing global wildfire detection with 24/7 thermal infrared monitoring.