Rocket Lab will launch a private radar imaging satellite to orbit tonight (March 14), and you can watch the action live
An Electron vehicle carrying a single satellite for the Japan-based Earth-imaging company iQPS is scheduled to lift off from Rocket Lab’s New Zealand site today, during a two-hour window that opens at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT and 1 p.m. local New Zealand time on March 15).
Rocket Lab will stream the action live, beginning 30 minutes before launch. Space.com will carry the company’s stream if, as expected, it is made available.
Today’s mission, which Rocket Lab calls “The Lightning God Reigns,” will send the QPS-SAR-9 satellite to a circular orbit 357 miles (575 kilometers) above Earth.
As its name suggests, QPS-SAR-9 will use synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to study its home planet.
“The spacecraft will join iQPS’ growing Earth-imaging constellation that delivers high-resolution monitoring from specific locations every 10 minutes,” Rocket Lab wrote in a mission description.
“‘The Lightning God Reigns’ is the first of eight upcoming launches for iQPS across 2025 and 2026 to build out iQPS’ constellation, and follows the Company’s earlier successful mission for iQPS launched in December 2023,” Rocket Lab added.
Related: Rocket Lab launches 5 IoT satellites on landmark 50th mission (video)
“The Lightning God Reigns” will be the third mission of 2025 for Electron, a 59-foot-tall (18 meters) rocket designed to give small satellites dedicated rides to space.
Electron’s fourth flight of the year will come in quick succession, if all goes to plan: Rocket Lab aims to launch five satellites for France-based “Internet of Things” company Kinéis on Monday (March 17).
