The Nation God Navigates
11/5/2025
The payload for the launch is QPS-SAR-14 or YACHIHOKO-I.
A First Light observation of QPS-SAR-14 'YACHIHOKO-I' occurred at 14:09 local time on November 25, 2025 over Fukushima-shi, Fukushima, Japan with weather noted as cloudy and ground plane resolution of azimuth 0.46 m and range 0.55 m.
QPS-SAR-14 'YACHIHOKO-I' deployed into its planned orbit approximately 50 minutes after launch on November 6, 2025.
QPS-SAR-14 'YACHIHOKO-I' First Light images were released with observation dates and times on November 25 and November 26, 2025.
A First Light observation of QPS-SAR-14 'YACHIHOKO-I' occurred at 12:39 local time on November 26, 2025 over Almaty, Kazakhstan with weather noted as sunny and ground plane resolution of azimuth 0.46 m and range 0.68 m.
QPS-SAR-14 'YACHIHOKO-I' established its first communication approximately 35 minutes after separation on November 6, 2025.
QPS-SAR-14 'YACHIHOKO-I' was launched on November 6, 2025 at 4:51 a.m. JST aboard Rocket Lab's Electron on the 'The Nation God Navigates' mission.
A First Light observation of QPS-SAR-14 'YACHIHOKO-I' occurred at 14:37 local time on November 26, 2025 over Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States with weather noted as cloudy and ground plane resolution of azimuth 0.46 m and range 0.55 m.
QPS-SAR-14 'YACHIHOKO-I' successfully deployed its parabolic antenna on the morning of November 6, 2025.
A First Light observation of QPS-SAR-14 'YACHIHOKO-I' occurred at 10:47 local time on November 26, 2025 over Shodoshima, Kagawa, Japan with weather noted as sunny and ground plane resolution of azimuth 0.46 m and range 0.43 m.
A First Light observation of QPS-SAR-14 'YACHIHOKO-I' occurred at 15:49 local time on November 25, 2025 over Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka, Japan with weather noted as cloudy and ground plane resolution of azimuth 0.46 m and range 0.63 m.
The next dedicated launch for iQPS’ constellation will deploy the QPS-SAR-14 satellite or YACHIHOKO-I to a 575 km low Earth orbit (LEO).