Rocket Lab launches Japanese technology-demonstrating satellite to orbit (photos)

Rocket Lab launched a Japanese technology-demonstrating satellite on Saturday night (Dec. 13).

side by side views of a rocket stage falling back to earth (left0 and an engine nozzle high above earth (right) — Electron's first stage falls back to Earth (left) while the second stage continues powering its way to orbit (right). (Image credit: Rocket Lab)

"RAISE and Shine" is the first flight that Rocket Lab has contracted directly with JAXA (the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). It's part of a two-flight deal with the Japanese space agency; the second mission is a rideshare launch scheduled for early next year.

The California-based company has a long history with Japan overall, however, launching more than 20 missions to date for companies based in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Saturday's launch sent JAXA's Rapid Innovative payload demonstration Satellite-4, known as RAISE-4, to a circular orbit 336 miles (540 kilometers) above Earth. It was deployed there on schedule, about 54.5 minutes after launch.

The satellite's full name tells us broadly what it will do up there. RAISE-4 "will demonstrate eight technologies developed by private companies, universities, and research institutions throughout Japan," Rocket Lab wrote in a mission description.

A mission patch, showing an illustration of a rocket going off the launch pad — The patch for Rocket Lab's "RAISE and Shine" mission for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. (Image credit: Rocket Lab)

"RAISE and Shine" continues a record-breaking year for Rocket Lab, which has now launched 19 missions in 2025. Sixteen of them have been orbital flights. The other three were suborbital launches with HASTE, a modified version of Electron designed to help customers test hypersonic technologies in the final frontier.

Rocket Lab's previous single-year launch record was 16, set in 2024.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 10:45 a.m. ET on Dec. 7 with the new launch date of Dec. 8, then again at 11:15 a.m. ET on Dec. 8 with the new target date of Dec. 11, then again at 6 p.m. ET on Dec. 11 with the new target of Dec. 13. It was updated with news of successful liftoff at 10:20 p.m. ET on Dec. 13, then again at 11:10 p.m. ET with news of satellite deploy.

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.

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