A group of satellites that Rocket Lab has helped put into space is poised to aid Ukraine’s military in the war with Russia.

Rocket Lab USA launched its third mission for Japanese company iQPS at the weekend from its spaceport on Māhia Peninsula.

It has been widely reported Japan has agreed to provide Ukraine’s military intelligence agency for the first time with advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery from satellites run by iQPS (Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space).

“Another fantastic launch by the Electron team to flawlessly deliver another iQPS mission to orbit,” Rocket Lab founder Sir Peter Beck said on 17 May.