No description available.
Launch Date
12/15/2023
Launch Site
MAHIA LC1B
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Launch Vehicle
Electron (Electron Family)
Virgin Orbit signed a launch services agreement with Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS) for the QPS-SAR-5 satellite.
The QPS-SAR-5 satellite is expected to join Virgin Orbit’s manifest for early 2023.
iQPS’s QPS-SAR-5 is expected to play a critical role in enabling near real-time Earth observation by iQPS’s Synthetic Aperture Radar constellation.
iQPS was originally manifested on another launch vehicle but selected Rocket Lab to launch QPS-SAR-5 on a dedicated Electron mission to expedite deployment.
QPS-SAR-6 was launched in June prior to QPS-SAR-5 joining the constellation.
QPS-SAR-5 is a synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellite that will join an existing iQPS constellation.
QPS-SAR-5 will join the iQPS constellation after QPS-SAR-6, which is already in orbit.
QPS-SAR-5 will launch on a dedicated Electron mission from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand.
QPS-SAR-5 will use Rocket Lab’s Mark II Motorized Lightband (MLB) as its separation system.
iQPS originally manifested QPS-SAR-5 on another launch vehicle before selecting Rocket Lab’s Electron.
QPS-SAR-5 will use Rocket Lab’s Mark II Motorized Lightband (MLB) as its separation system.
QPS-SAR-5 will launch on a dedicated Electron mission from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand.
QPS-SAR-5 is a synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellite that will join a constellation after QPS-SAR-6 is already on-orbit.
QPS-SAR-5 was scheduled for launch in early 2023 at the time of the May 2022 contract announcement with Virgin Orbit.
Rocket Lab signed a contract with Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS) for a dedicated launch of the QPS-SAR-5 satellite on an Electron rocket.
The iQPS satellite QPS-SAR-5 will launch on Rocket Lab's Electron instead of Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne due to delays and the bankruptcy of Virgin Orbit.
QPS-SAR-5 will launch on a dedicated Electron mission from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand.
QPS-SAR-5 will use Rocket Lab’s Mark II Motorized Lightband (MLB) as its separation system.
Using the Mark II Motorized Lightband for QPS-SAR-5 demonstrates Rocket Lab’s vertically integrated space systems strategy.
The QPS-SAR-5 satellite will use Rocket Lab’s Mark II Motorized Lightband (MLB) as its separation system.