LONG BEACH, Calif., Oct. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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 another multi-launch deal with Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS) – making Rocket Lab the primary launch provider to deploy the company’s commercial Earth-imaging constellation.

The multi-launch contract includes three dedicated Electron missions that will launch no earlier than 2026 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. With four dedicated missions already booked by iQPS on Electron, these three additional missions bring the total number of upcoming launches for iQPS to seven.

Each dedicated launch will deploy a single synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite from a Rocket Lab Motorized Lightband separation system – demonstrating Rocket Lab’s vertical integration across launch and space systems that improves reliability and streamlines the launch process for its customers.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, says: “We’re proud to be expanding our partnership with iQPS to deliver their QPS-SAR satellites to orbit. By choosing both Electron and our separation systems to deploy their satellites, iQPS takes advantage of a highly-integrated launch service that maximizes reliability and streamlines operations for faster access to space to grow their constellation. It’s a privilege to continue to deliver this for iQPS across our missions to date and the ones to come.”

iQPS CEO, Dr. Shunsuke Onishi, says: “In 2025, we successfully deployed four satellites, QPS-SAR-9 through QPS-SAR-12, into their planned orbits aboard Electron. This outcome was exactly as we had anticipated, and it further reaffirmed our confidence in the rocket’s reliability. We are very pleased to have now signed an additional contract for the launch of three more satellites on Electron. This agreement marks an important step toward the realization of our QPS-SAR constellation. We will continue to make steady progress with unwavering dedication to achieving this goal.”

As international orders for Electron’s responsive launch service continue to grow, Rocket Lab has increased its production and launch cadence to meet the demand for 20+ launches in 2025. Rocket Lab has successfully launched four missions for iQPS to date this year, including two missions launched back-to-back in less than four weeks between May and June.

Rocket Lab’s next launch for iQPS is scheduled to take place from November. Further information about the launch will be announced in the coming days.

Rocket Lab Images and Videos: www.flickr.com/photos/rocketlab/

Rocket Lab Media contact
Murielle Baker
media@rocketlabusa.com

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.

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. https://i-qps.net/en

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.