Rocket Lab Shares Rise 6% Premarket on Signing Contract With Japan's National Space Agency for Two Electron Launches
Rocket Lab Corporation has announced it has signed a direct contract with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for two dedicated Electron launches.
The missions will be launched from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The first launch, scheduled for December 2025, will deploy JAXA's RApid Innovative payload demonstration SatellitE-4 (RAISE-4) spacecraft, which will demonstrate eight technologies developed by private companies, universities, and research institutions in Japan.
The second launch, planned for 2026, will be a rideshare mission carrying eight separate spacecraft, including educational small satellites, an ocean monitoring satellite, a demonstration satellite for ultra-small multispectral cameras, and a deployable antenna.