MAHIA, New Zealand – Rocket Lab in Long Beach, California, has launched eight technology demonstration satellites for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The “Kakushin Rising” mission, part of JAXA’s Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program, focuses on testing compact systems and new approaches to satellite design. The payloads include educational small satellites, an ocean-monitoring platform, and a spacecraft equipped with an ultra-small multispectral imaging system. The instrument captures data across multiple wavelength bands for environmental monitoring and analysis.
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Deployable structures and compact payload design
One of the more notable technologies is an antenna designed to expand after launch using origami-based folding techniques. Packed into a small volume, the structure unfolds to many times its original size, allowing for higher-gain communications and sensing once in orbit. This design increases aperture without adding launch mass.
The Kakushin Rising mission highlights a broader push toward smaller, more adaptable satellite technologies. Compact sensors, foldable structures, and modular elements are enabling more capability within limited size and power constraints, particularly for low Earth orbit missions.
Rocket Lab launched the mission on its Electron vehicle from New Zealand, marking its second dedicated flight for JAXA. The company previously supported a similar technology demonstration mission in late 2025, reinforcing an ongoing collaboration focused on rapid deployment of experimental payloads.
“Two successful missions in a matter of months, deployed precisely where they needed to be on orbit, show exactly why Electron is the preferred small launcher for national space agencies,” said Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO. “JAXA is a world leader in space, and it's been an honor to be trusted with these back-to-back missions growing Japan’s aerospace economy.”
