MAHIA, New Zealand, Dec. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today successfully launched its 21st Electron rocket of the year to deploy the latest satellite to space for multi-launch customer Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS), a Japan-based Earth imaging company.
‘The Wisdom God Guides’ mission launched from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand on December 21 at 7:36 p.m. (06:36 UTC) to deploy the QPS-SAR-15 to space for iQPS. The spacecraft will join the company’s synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation providing near-real time imagery across twelve different orbits for iQPS’ global customers. Rocket Lab first launched for iQPS in 2023 and has gone on to deploy seven satellites to the iQPS constellation, making Electron the primary launcher for iQPS. A further five launches on Electron for iQPS are planned from 2026.
Today’s mission has set a new annual launch record for Electron: 21 launches in one year with 100% mission success. The record cements Electron as both America’s preeminent small launch provider and the world’s most frequently-launched small-lift orbital rocket.
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 go 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.”
‘The Wisdom God Guides’ mission was Rocket Lab’s 79th overall Electron mission and final scheduled launch for 2025. The next Electron launch is slated to take place in early Q1 2026.
‘The Wisdom God Guides’ launch images:
F79 | The Wisdom God Guides
‘The Wisdom God Guides’ launch broadcast:
Rocket Lab – ‘The Wisdom God Guides’ Launch
Rocket Lab Media Contact
Murielle Baker
[email protected]
About Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab is a leading space company that provides launch services, spacecraft, payloads and satellite components serving commercial, government, and national security markets. Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket is the world’s most frequently launched orbital small rocket; its HASTE rocket provides hypersonic test launch capability for the U.S. government and allied nations; and its Neutron launch vehicle in development will unlock medium launch for constellation deployment, national security and exploration missions. Rocket Lab’s spacecraft and satellite components have enabled more than 1,700 missions spanning commercial, defense and national security missions including GPS, constellations, and exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and Venus. Rocket Lab is a publicly listed company on the Nasdaq stock exchange (RKLB). Learn more at www.rocketlabcorp.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding our launch and space systems operations, launch schedule and window, safe and repeatable access to space, Neutron development, operational expansion and business strategy, are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the factors, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of our website at https://investors.rocketlabcorp.com which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
