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A Japanese company, Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS), has signed a contract with Rocket Lab for the launch of its QPS-SAR-5 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellite. This comes after the bankruptcy of Virgin Orbit, which was originally supposed to launch the satellite. The mission, called “The Moon God Awakens,” is scheduled for September from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.

Rocket Lab’s CEO, Peter Beck, stated that this launch is exactly the kind of mission the Electron rocket was designed for and emphasized the company’s ability to deliver on time. Shunsuke Onishi, CEO of iQPS, expressed gratitude to Rocket Lab for their efforts in arranging the new launch contract.

iQPS faced delays in launching QPS-SAR-5 and also lost two other satellites, QPS-SAR-3 and -4, due to a failed Japanese Epsilon rocket launch. However, the QPS-SAR-6 satellite successfully made it to orbit as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-8 mission.

iQPS plans to deploy a 36-satellite constellation capable of producing SAR imagery with resolutions sharper than 50 centimeters. The company’s decision to choose Rocket Lab as the launch provider follows NorthStar Earth and Space’s announcement to launch their satellites on an Electron after their previous contract with Virgin Orbit.

Rocket Lab has become a popular choice for small satellite launches due to the limited options available in the market. The company has recently won multiple launch contracts, including contracts with BlackSky, NASA, and an undisclosed customer for the suborbital version of Electron called HASTE.

Rocket Lab aims to have a target launch cost of .5 million for the Electron, and they expect to complete 15 launches this year. The next scheduled launch is of a Capella Space SAR satellite on August 23, which was postponed due to unusual data from an engine sensor.

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