Rocket Lab Secures Multiple Launches with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Rhea-AI Summary
Rocket Lab (Nasdaq: RKLB) signed a direct contract with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for two dedicated Electron launches from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The first launch is scheduled for December 2025 to deploy JAXA’s RAISE-4 demonstration satellite, carrying eight technologies. The second mission, scheduled in 2026, is a JAXA-manifested rideshare of eight spacecraft including educational small sats, an ocean-monitoring satellite, an ultra-small multispectral camera demo, and a deployable origami antenna.
Rocket Lab says it has more than two dozen dedicated missions booked to fly on Electron through the end of the decade and reports 100% mission success for launches completed this year.
Positive
- Two dedicated Electron launches contracted with JAXA (Dec 2025 and 2026)
- First mission to deploy RAISE-4 carrying eight Japanese tech demonstrations
- Second mission includes a rideshare of eight diverse spacecraft
- More than two dozen dedicated Electron missions booked through the decade
- Reported 100% mission success on launches completed this year
Negative
- None.
Insights
Two dedicated Electron launches for JAXA strengthen Rocket Lab's commercial launch backlog and reinforce international agency trust.
These contracts secure two dedicated Electron missions for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), one in
Dependencies and risks include on-time vehicle availability, successful integration of varied payloads, and adherence to the announced launch schedule; any slips could shift revenue timing. The announcement cites more than two dozen dedicated missions booked through the end of the decade and recent mission success, which supports credibility but does not guarantee future performance.
Watch manifests, integration milestones, and the
LONG BEACH, Calif., Oct. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced it has signed a direct contract for two dedicated Electron launches with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) – signifying the criticality of Electron to international space agencies requiring responsive launch and dedicated access to space.
Launching from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, the two Electron missions will deploy satellites for JAXA’s Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program. The first launch, scheduled from December 2025, will deploy the agency’s RApid Innovative payload demonstration SatellitE-4 (RAISE-4) spacecraft, a single satellite that will demonstrate eight technologies developed by private companies, universities, and research institutions throughout Japan.
The second launch, scheduled for 2026, is a JAXA-manifested rideshare of eight separate spacecraft that includes educational small sats, an ocean monitoring satellite, a demonstration satellite for ultra-small multispectral cameras, and a deployable antenna that can be packed tightly using origami folding techniques and unfurled to 25 times its size.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, said: “It’s an incredible honor to be entrusted by JAXA to further their goals of innovation and development for Japan. 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 – and we’re proud to be entrusted to deliver them. Japanese satellite operators have long turned to Electron for its reliability and responsiveness since its earliest launches - whether its constellation-building for Japan’s new wave of commercial satellite operators, or bespoke missions requiring responsive mission planning and highly-accurate payload deployment.”
Rocket Lab is a launch leader for the Japanese space industry, with more than two dozen dedicated missions booked to fly on Electron through to the end of the decade. These include constellation deployment missions for satellite operators iQPS and Synspective, in addition to the multiple launches already completed this year with
Mission information about Rocket Lab’s first launch for JAXA next month will be announced shortly.
Rocket Lab Media Contact
Murielle Baker
media@rocketlabusa.com
About Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab is a leading space company that provides launch services, spacecraft, payloads and satellite components serving commercial, government, and national security markets. Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket is the world’s most frequently launched orbital small rocket; its HASTE rocket provides hypersonic test launch capability for the U.S. government and allied nations; and its Neutron launch vehicle in development will unlock medium launch for constellation deployment, national security and exploration missions. Rocket Lab’s spacecraft and satellite components have enabled more than 1,700 missions spanning commercial, defense and national security missions including GPS, constellations, and exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and Venus. Rocket Lab is a publicly listed company on the Nasdaq stock exchange (RKLB). Learn more at www.rocketlabcorp.com.
Forward Looking Statements
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FAQ
What did Rocket Lab (RKLB) announce with JAXA on October 10, 2025?
What will JAXA deploy on the Rocket Lab Electron launch in December 2025?
What is included on the JAXA-manifested 2026 rideshare on RKLB Electron?
How many Rocket Lab (RKLB) missions are booked for the Japanese market through the end of the decade?
Where will Rocket Lab launch the JAXA missions announced on October 10, 2025?
Does Rocket Lab report recent launch performance relevant to JAXA missions?
