QPS Research Institute Inc. (Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City; CEO and Representative Director: Shunsuke Ohnishi; hereinafter "QPS Research Institute"), a company developing and operating world-leading small SAR (※2) satellites, announces that its small SAR satellite QPS-SAR No. 13 (nicknamed "Mikura-I") is scheduled to be launched aboard Rocket Lab (hereinafter "Rocket Lab") of the United States' Electron rocket.
Launch Vehicle
Rocket Lab's Electron
Launch Window
Starting at 10:15 a.m. Japan time on Tuesday, June 30, 2026
※The date and time are subject to change due to weather or other conditions. Any updates will be posted promptly on the official website news page or official social media channels.
Planned Orbit
Mid-inclination orbit, planned altitude of 575 km
Launch Site
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Details of this mission are available on the QPS Research Institute official website news page released on April 10.
<About Rocket Lab>
Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is a rocket development company headquartered in Long Beach, California. Since its first launch in January 2018, Electron has become the second most frequently launched rocket annually in the United States, successfully deploying over 200 satellites for private and public organizations. Rocket Lab currently operates four launch pads—two in New Zealand and two in Virginia.
<About the "QPS-SAR Project">
Small SAR Satellite "QPS-SAR"
QPS Research Institute has developed a highly compact, lightweight, yet large deployable antenna (patented). This antenna enables transmission of strong radio waves, allowing the company to successfully develop the high-resolution small SAR satellite "QPS-SAR," which has just 1/20th the mass and 1/100th the cost of conventional SAR satellites. QPS-SAR is capable of achieving image resolution of 46 cm, among the highest in the world for private-sector SAR satellites. The company aims to provide near-real-time observation data every 10 minutes on average by building a satellite constellation (※3) of 24 satellites by May 2028 and 36 satellites by 2030.
(※1) Satellite numbers are assigned in the order of launch contract procedures. The numbering sequence may vary in the future, but this will not affect business progress.
(※2) SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar): A radar system that uses radio waves to capture images of the Earth's surface. Its key feature is the ability to observe through clouds and volcanic plumes, regardless of day or night. (※3) A system using multiple artificial satellites to enable high-frequency Earth observation. (The term "constellation" means "asterism" or "star pattern.")
<About QPS Research Institute Inc.>
Satellite Development Overview
Founded in Fukuoka in 2005, QPS Research Institute is a space development company. The name "QPS" is derived from "Q-shu Pioneers of Space," reflecting the company's aspiration to pioneer the aerospace industry in Kyushu and contribute to the advancement of Japan's and the world's space industries from the Kyushu region. True to its name, the company conducts space technology development through collaboration between a team of young engineers and entrepreneurs and an esteemed group of professors who are pioneers in satellite development at Kyushu University, both domestically and internationally. Furthermore, QPS Research Institute's operations are strongly supported by more than 25 partner companies across Japan, primarily based in northern Kyushu, where the founders have cultivated and advanced space technologies.
Group photo of QPS Research Institute taken in 2026
<QPS Research Institute Inc.>
Company Name: QPS Research Institute Inc.
Head Office Address: 1-1-1 Nagahama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, KBC Building 8F
Representative: Shunsuke Ohnishi, CEO and Representative Director
Founded: June 2005
URL: https://i-qps.net/
Business Activities: Research, development, design, manufacturing, and sales of artificial satellites, satellite-mounted instruments, precision instruments, electronic devices, and software
FACT BOX
- Source: PR TIMES
- Category: 企業発表