The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has awarded Rocket Lab a contract for two dedicated Electron launches to support its Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program, which aims to advance Japan’s space research and technology development initiatives.
Both missions will lift off from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, the Long Beach, California-based company said Friday. The first launch, planned for December, will deploy JAXA’s RAISE-4 satellite to demonstrate eight experimental technologies developed by Japanese private firms, universities and research institutions.
Rideshare Mission Planned for 2026
A second mission, scheduled for 2026, will deliver eight small satellites on a rideshare flight. The payloads include educational spacecraft, an ocean-monitoring satellite, a demonstration of ultra-small multispectral cameras and a deployable antenna that expands to 25 times its packed size using origami-inspired folding.
The launches highlight JAXA’s increasing use of international commercial launch providers to accelerate access to space and test emerging technologies. They also reinforce Rocket Lab’s growing role in Japan’s expanding space ecosystem.
Electron’s Reliability and Precision
Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said the contract reflects JAXA’s trust in Electron’s reliability and precision. “These missions are a demonstration of Electron’s global importance, supporting the growth of Japan’s space industry with launch on a U.S. rocket from a New Zealand launch site,” Beck said.
Japanese satellite operators have long turned to Electron for constellation deployments and responsive missions, including those for iQPS, Synspective and Astroscale-Japan.