Rocket Lab has stepped in to provide iQPS with
an expedited dedicated launch on Electron
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the
Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems,
today announced it has signed a deal to launch an Earth observation
satellite on Electron for the Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of
Space, Inc. (iQPS), a Japan-based Earth imaging company. iQPS was
originally manifested on another launch vehicle, but iQPS has now
selected Rocket Lab to launch QPS-SAR-5 on a dedicated Electron
mission to expedite the deployment.
The launch is scheduled for lift-off in September 2023 and will
carry iQPS’s QPS-SAR-5 satellite named “TSUKUYOMI-I” into orbit on
a dedicated Electron mission from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in
Mahia, New Zealand. The mission has been named “The Moon God
Awakens” in acknowledgement of Tsukuyomi, the Japanese God of the
Moon.
“This is exactly the kind of mission Electron was designed for
and has delivered on time and time again – a customer urgently
seeking dedicated launch to a unique orbit on a rapid timeline.
We’re delighted to deliver that capability to our new partners at
iQPS and keep their mission on schedule,” said Rocket Lab founder
and CEO Peter Beck. “iQPS’ SAR technology can play a vital role in
disaster prevention, marine monitoring, infrastructure management,
agriculture, and more. The sooner their spacecraft is in orbit, the
faster those capabilities can be delivered, so we’re grateful for
the opportunity to make iQPS’ mission possible with a dependable
launch service.”
iQPS CEO Dr. Shunsuke Onishi commented, "We are very pleased to
announce the new launch plan for QPS-SAR-5 following the successful
QPS-SAR-6 launch in June, despite the delay due to status changes
since our announcement of contract for QPS-SAR-5 in May last year.
We highly appreciate Rocket Lab and our team for all their efforts
in arranging this new launch contract as it is very meaningful for
us to quickly deploy the satellites into orbit and build a
36-QPS-SAR constellation that will enable near real-time
observation almost anywhere in the world, which we are aiming for.
We believe that this collaboration with Rocket Lab for QPS-SAR-5
will evolve our SAR image data services and expand our
business."
QPS-SAR-5 is a synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellite that
will join a constellation after QPS-SAR-6 already in orbit. iQPS’s
satellites are small, high-performance SAR satellites that use a
lightweight, large, stowable antenna to collect high resolution
images of Earth, even through clouds and adverse weather
conditions. Ultimately, the iQPS constellation is planned to have
36 satellites capable of monitoring specific fixed points on Earth
every 10 minutes.
In addition to being launched by Electron, the QPS-SAR-5
satellite will use Rocket Lab’s Mark II Motorized Lightband (MLB)
as its separation system, demonstrating the Company’s vertically
integrated space systems strategy.
+ About Rocket Lab
Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with
an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable
launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and
on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier and more
affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach,
California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small
orbital launch vehicle, the Photon satellite platform and the
Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for
constellation deployment. Since its first orbital launch in January
2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second
most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered 170
satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations,
enabling operations in national security, scientific research,
space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and
communications. Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft platform has been
selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as
the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three
launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a
private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third
launch pad in Virginia. To learn more, visit
www.rocketlabusa.com.
+ About iQPS
iQPS is a space start-up founded in 2005 by two Emeritus
Professors of Kyushu University and a rocket developer to establish
the space industry in the Kyushu region in Japan. Based on more
than 20 years of technology in the development of small satellites
at Kyushu University, now iQPS brings together young engineers and
industrialists with a team of pioneering professors emeritus. In
addition, iQPS's business is strongly supported by more than 25
partner companies, mostly in northern Kyushu. The goal of iQPS
small SAR satellite QPS-SAR project is to deliver a near real-time
data provision service. Today, three QPS-SARs have been launched
and are in operation: QPS-SAR- 1 "IZANAGI", 2 "IZANAMI" and 6
“AMATERU-Ⅲ”. In July 2023, iQPS released Spotlight images of
QPS-SAR-6 with azimuth resolution of 46cm and range resolution of
39 cm, which is the highest resolution ever achieved by a Japanese
commercial SAR satellite. Unfortunately, QPS-SAR-3 and 4 have not
been deployed into orbit due to rocket failure. For further
information please check: www.i-qps.net
+ Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain certain “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. All statements, other than statements of historical facts,
contained in this press release, including statements regarding our
expectations of financial results for the third quarter of 2023,
strategy, future operations, future financial position, projected
costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are
forward-looking statements. Words such as, but not limited to,
“anticipate,” “aim,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,”
“design,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,”
“possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,”
“suggest,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar
expressions or phrases, or the negative of those expressions or
phrases, are intended to identify forward-looking statements,
although not all forward-looking statements contain these
identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on
Rocket Lab’s current expectations and beliefs concerning future
developments and their potential effects. These forward-looking
statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (many of which
are beyond Rocket Lab’s control), or other assumptions that may
cause actual results or performance to be materially different from
those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially
from the forward-looking statements in this release, including
risks related to delays and disruptions in expansion efforts; our
dependence on a limited number of customers; the harsh and
unpredictable environment of space in which our products operate
which could adversely affect our launch vehicle and spacecraft;
increased congestion from the proliferation of low Earth orbit
constellations which could materially increase the risk of
potential collision with space debris or another spacecraft and
limit or impair our launch flexibility and/or access to our own
orbital slots; increased competition in our industry due in part to
rapid technological development and decreasing costs; technological
change in our industry which we may not be able to keep up with or
which may render our services uncompetitive; average selling price
trends; general economic uncertainty and turbulence which could
impact our customers’ ability to pay what we are owed; failure of
our launch vehicles, spacecraft and components to operate as
intended either due to our error in design in production or through
no fault of our own; launch schedule disruptions; supply chain
disruptions, product delays or failures; design and engineering
flaws; launch failures; natural disasters and epidemics or
pandemics; any inability to effectively integrate recently acquired
assets; changes in governmental regulations including with respect
to trade and export restrictions, or in the status of our
regulatory approvals or applications; or other events that force us
to cancel or reschedule launches, including customer contractual
rescheduling and termination rights; risks that acquisitions may
not be completed on the anticipated time frame or at all or do not
achieve the anticipated benefits and results; and the other risks
detailed from time to time in Rocket Lab’s filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including under the
heading “Risk Factors” in Rocket Lab’s Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed with
the SEC on March 7, 2023, and elsewhere. There can be no assurance
that the future developments affecting Rocket Lab will be those
that we have anticipated. Except as required by law, Rocket Lab is
not undertaking any obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230817106425/en/
+ Rocket Lab Media Contact Morgan Bailey
media@rocketlabusa.com
Rocket Lab USA (NASDAQ:RKLB)
Historical Stock Chart
Von Mär 2024 bis Apr 2024
Rocket Lab USA (NASDAQ:RKLB)
Historical Stock Chart
Von Apr 2023 bis Apr 2024