[[Home|🏠]] <span style="color: LightSlateGray">></span> <span class="no-hover">[[Launches]]</span> <span style="color: LightSlateGray">></span> 042 - The Moon God Awakens
>[!Success] Mission Success
>[!summary]
Rocket Lab launched a dedicated Electron mission for the Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. ([[iQPS]]), a Japan-based Earth imaging company.
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The mission carried iQPS’s QPS-SAR-5 satellite named “TSUKUYOMI-I” into orbit on a dedicated Electron mission from Rocket Lab [[Launch Complex 1]] in Mahia, New Zealand. The mission has been named “The Moon God Awakens” in acknowledgement of Tsukuyomi, the Japanese God of the Moon.
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QPS-SAR-5 is a [[📦 Payload Types#Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)|Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)]] satellite that joins iQPS's QPS-SAR-6 satellite already in orbit. iQPS’s satellites are small, high-performance SAR satellites that use a lightweight, large, stowable antenna to collect high resolution images of Earth, even through clouds and adverse weather conditions. Ultimately, the iQPS constellation is planned to have 36 satellites capable of monitoring specific fixed points on Earth every 10 minutes.
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In addition to being launched by Electron, the QPS-SAR-5 satellite used Rocket Lab’s Mark II Motorized Lightband (MLB) as its separation system demonstrating the Company’s vertically integrated space systems strategy.
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[📸 Mission Photo Album](https://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketlab/albums/72177720311276533/)
#electron #launch #success
| **Mission Name** | The Moon God Awakens |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Launch Date** | 2023-12-15 04:05 |
| **Outcome** | ✅ Success |
| **Customer** | [[iQPS]] |
| **Location** | [[Launch Complex 1#Launch Pad B]] |
| **Vehicle** | [[Electron]] |
| **Orbit Type** | [[🌍 Orbits#LEO]] |
| **Target Orbit** | 575 km | 42° |
| **Payload Mass** | 100 kg |
| **Recovery** | No Attempt |
| **Mission Link** | [The Moon God Awakens](https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/missions-launched/the-moon-god-awakes/) |
| **Press Kit** | [Press Kit PDF](https://rocketlabcorp.com/assets/Uploads/The-Moon-God-Awakens-Press-Kit5.pdf) |
![[Pasted image 20250406141811.png|300]]
### 📦 Payload
x1 [[iQPS#🛰️ Space Systems#QPS-SAR|QPS-SAR]] Satellite for [[iQPS]] ![[iQPS#🛰️ Space Systems#QPS-SAR|QPS-SAR]]
## 📽️ Launch Video
<div class="responsive-video">
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iLwTLqaCnQ8" title="Rocket Lab's Electron - The Moon God Awakens Mission" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
## 📰 News
%%DATAVIEW_PUBLISHER: start
```
table published as "Published"
from "News"
where contains(mission, [[042 - The Moon God Awakens]])
sort published desc
```
%%
| File | Published |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------- |
| [[News/Rocket Lab Reaches New Annual Launch Record with 10th Electron Mission This Year.md\|Rocket Lab Reaches New Annual Launch Record with 10th Electron Mission This Year]] | December 15, 2023 |
| [[News/Rocket Lab Prepares to Launch iQPS Mission.md\|Rocket Lab Prepares to Launch iQPS Mission]] | December 14, 2023 |
| [[News/Rocket Lab Sets Next Electron Launch Window, Provides Update on Anomaly Review.md\|Rocket Lab Sets Next Electron Launch Window, Provides Update on Anomaly Review]] | November 08, 2023 |
| [[News/Rocket Lab Inks Dedicated Launch Deal with Japanese Earth Imaging Company iQPS.md\|Rocket Lab Inks Dedicated Launch Deal with Japanese Earth Imaging Company iQPS]] | August 17, 2023 |
%%DATAVIEW_PUBLISHER: end %%