A Ninth Eye in the Sky for iQPS

A radar satellite does not need sunlight to see. It sends its own signal down and reads what bounces back, day or night, clear sky or cloudy. That is the kind of eye Japan's iQPS has been building in orbit, one launch at a time.

On August 20, 2026, Rocket Lab lifted the ninth of these satellites for iQPS into orbit. Nine small watchers now, each one adding to a picture of the Earth that does not wait for good weather.

For anyone in Asia who watches the sky, this matters a little more than most launches — the company behind these satellites is based in Japan, and each one that goes up adds to a regional radar network with eyes closer to home. Read the full story at SpaceNews.