Rocket Lab launches iQPS satellite as global launch schedule accelerates

Rocket Lab launched an uncrewed Electron rocket carrying a QPS-SAR radar satellite for the private Japanese company iQPS on Monday, Nov. 2. The rocket lifted off at 11:41 a.m. EST from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Māhia Peninsula. Astronomy Magazine reported that the flight marked the 10th Electron mission dedicated to iQPS. [1]

The launch kicks off an active week for global spaceflight between Nov. 2 and Nov. 8. According to Astronomy Magazine, scheduled missions include a national security launch by SpaceX, an uncrewed demonstration flight by South Korea's defense agency, and four orbital launches planned by China. SpaceX is returning to Vandenberg Space Force Base in California for its Space Force mission, following its earlier USSF-385 flight from the same facility. [1]

The upcoming activities build on ongoing space initiatives across Asia. As FTMQ Space reported earlier, South Korea previously scheduled satellite launches using its domestic Nuri rocket, while China prepared its Long March 12 vehicle. The Korea AeroSpace Administration is also planning two uncrewed robotic lunar missions for launch in 2032, evaluating candidate landing locations such as Clavius crater and the Lake of Death. [11][12]

South Korea is located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia, bordering North Korea to the north. These planned launch operations highlight expanding orbital flight efforts across both government defense agencies and commercial satellite operators. [1][7]