Rocket Lab Launches 99th Mission with Japanese Radar Satellite
Written by AI from space.com's report. Not checked by a person.
Rocket Lab's Electron rocket lifted off from New Zealand on 2 November 2026, carrying a synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese firm iQPS — the company's 99th mission overall and 10th for this customer. The SAR satellite joins a growing constellation capable of imaging Earth through clouds, day and night.
Rocket Lab is launching its 99th mission on 2 November 2026, with an Electron rocket lifting off from its New Zealand site during a window that opens at 11:30 a.m. EST (1630 GMT). The mission, called "The Sea God Surveys," carries an Earth-observing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite for Japanese company iQPS. It marks Rocket Lab's 10th launch to date for iQPS, which is assembling a constellation of around three dozen SAR satellites in low Earth orbit. Unlike optical satellites, SAR systems can pierce cloud cover and operate at night as well as during the day. The two-stage Electron stands 59 feet (18 metres) tall and is dedicated to giving small satellites rides to orbit; this flight marks its 90th mission overall. Rocket Lab's remaining nine launches have been flown by HASTE, a suborbital variant of Electron designed to test technology in a hypersonic environment. Electron has already flown 16 times in 2026. Viewers can watch the launch live via Rocket Lab's feed, which is expected to become available around 30 minutes before liftoff.
