[[Home|🏠]] <span style="color: LightSlateGray">></span> <span class="no-hover">[[Launches]]</span> <span style="color: LightSlateGray">></span> 061 - The Lightning God Reigns
>[!success] Mission Success
>[!summary]
“The Lightning God Reigns” launched from Rocket Lab’s private orbital launch site, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, in New Zealand on March 15, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. NZDT (00:00 UTC)
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The mission launched a single [[📦 Payload Types#Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)|Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)]] imaging satellite to a 575km circular Earth orbit for iQPS called QPS-SAR-9 (nicknamed “SUSANOO-I”). The spacecraft joined iQPS’ growing Earth-imaging constellation that delivers high-resolution monitoring from specific locations every 10 minutes.
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‘The Lightning God Reigns’ was the first of eight upcoming launches for iQPS across 2025 and 2026 to build out iQPS‘s constellation, and follows the Company’s [[042 - The Moon God Awakens|earlier successful mission]] for iQPS launched in December 2023. Each upcoming mission includes a Rocket Lab Motorized Lightband, used to separate and deploy the satellite from Electron once in space.
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[📸 Mission Photo Album](https://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketlab/albums/72177720324421002)
#electron #launch
| **Mission Name** | The Lighting God Reigns |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Launch Date** | 2025-03-15 00:00 UTC |
| **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 Lighting God Reigns](https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/missions-launched/the-lightning-god-reigns) |
| **Press Kit** | [Press Kit PDF](https://rocketlabcorp.com/assets/Uploads/F61-The-Lightning-God-Reigns-press-kit-final-.pdf) |
![[Pasted image 20250314201500.png|300]]
## 📦 Payload
x 1 [[iQPS#🛰️ Space Systems#QPS-SAR|QPS-SAR]] ![[iQPS#🛰️ Space Systems#QPS-SAR|QPS-SAR]]
## 📽️ Launch Video
🔗 Backup Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-cuTDrVCmQ
## 📰 News
%%DATAVIEW_PUBLISHER: start
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table published as "Published"
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where contains(mission, [[061 - The Lightning God Reigns]])
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| File | Published |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------- |
| [[News/Rocket Lab Successfully Launches 61st Electron Mission, Second Launch for iQPS.md\|Rocket Lab Successfully Launches 61st Electron Mission, Second Launch for iQPS]] | March 15, 2025 |
| [[News/Rocket Lab Schedules Two Launches Three Days Apart, Upcoming Mission to Deploy Final Satellites in Kinéis Constellation.md\|Rocket Lab Schedules Two Launches Three Days Apart, Upcoming Mission to Deploy Final Satellites in Kinéis Constellation]] | March 10, 2025 |
| [[News/Rocket Lab Signs Second Multi-Launch Deal, Secures Eight Electron Missions with iQPS.md\|Rocket Lab Signs Second Multi-Launch Deal, Secures Eight Electron Missions with iQPS]] | February 27, 2025 |
| [[News/Rocket Lab Signs Multi-Launch Contract with iQPS for Four Electron Missions.md\|Rocket Lab Signs Multi-Launch Contract with iQPS for Four Electron Missions]] | February 03, 2025 |
%%DATAVIEW_PUBLISHER: end %%
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