New Japanese Satellite Monitors Earth with Microwave Signals

Key Takeaways

1. iQPS launched the Kushinada-I satellite on August 5 to monitor Earth, named after the Japanese goddess of harvest and wealth.
2. The satellite successfully made contact 30 minutes after launch and deployed its antenna on the same day.
3. Kushinada-I is the twelfth satellite in the QPS-SAR series, which began in 2019, aiming for a total of 36 satellites.
4. QPS-SAR satellites can capture images in bad weather and at night using a radar system that sends microwaves to the Earth.
5. The satellite constellation is expected to enhance disaster response, urban safety, and provide predictive analytics for agriculture and economies.

Japanese firm, iQPS, launched yet another satellite to monitor Earth on August 5. The Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite, named Kushinada-I, took off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. This mission was titled “The Harvest Goddess Thrives,” honoring Kushinada, the Japanese goddess associated with harvest and wealth.

Quick Communication Setup

The Kushinada-I made contact about 30 minutes after it separated from the rocket, successfully deploying its antenna the same day of its launch. The satellite, formally known as QPS-SAR-12, marks the twelfth satellite launched by iQPS. The company initiated its QPS-SAR satellite series in 2019, with the eleventh satellite launched as recent as June 2025. iQPS plans to create a network of 36 satellites that can deliver near-real-time information, enabling observations of nearly every place on Earth approximately every 10 minutes.

Advanced Imaging Capabilities

In contrast to many conventional satellites, the QPS-SAR satellites are able to take pictures even in bad weather and during night time. These satellites utilize a radar system that sends out microwaves, which can pass through smoke, clouds, or darkness. The microwaves bounce back from Earth surfaces, and the radar captures these reflected signals to generate clear images.

Disaster Response and More

The QPS-SAR constellation is anticipated to mitigate the effects of natural calamities. According to Rocket Lab, it will “improve urban safety and security, and offer predictive analytics for agriculture, national economies, and regional markets when combined with weather, market, and economic data.”

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