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Rocket LabElectronRocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Raise and Shine (RAISE-4)

Launched

December 14, 2025 · 03:09 UTC

Launch SuccessfulWeather 90% go
Raise and Shine Patch

Image: Rocket Lab

Summary

Raise and Shine (RAISE-4) launched on a Rocket Lab Electron from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand on December 14, 2025 at 03:09 UTC. It was Rocket Lab's 77th launch, 19th this year and humanity's 7,153rd orbital launch attempt. It was the 77th Electron flight and the 19th this year. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). RAISE-4, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 544 × 560 km orbit inclined 97.5°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.

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Vehicle
Electron · Rocket Lab
Booster
No booster details on record.
Mission
Technology · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)for JAXA
Milestone
77th Electron flight · 19th this yearRocket Lab's 77th launch19th this yearhumanity's 7,153rd orbital launch attempt304th orbital launch attempt this year

Webcast

Replay
Watch on YouTube

Flight preview

Orbit: as tracked

97.5°Inclination
544 × 560 kmPerigee × apogeefrom mean elements
95.5 minPeriodfrom mean elements
135.8°Ascending node
306 d agoElement epoch2025-12-14 07:01 UTC · stale

RAISE-4 · NORAD 67073 · 2025-297 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects

Show the numbers for orbit elements
Object
ELECTRON R/B
Object ID
2025-297B
Epoch
2025-12-14 07:01:12 UTC
Mean motion
15.07143339 rev/day
Eccentricity
0.00119175
Inclination
97.4844°
Ascending node
135.8004°
Arg. of perigee
315.2297°
Mean anomaly
44.7968°
Element set
999
Rev at epoch
2
B*
0.00029729511

Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: SSO.

Flight timeline

15 steps, T−2 min to T+54 min 44 s
  1. T−2MStartup
  2. T−2SIgnition
  3. T−0Liftoff
  4. T+1M3SSupersonic
  5. T+1M10SMax-Q
  6. T+2M31SMECO
  7. T+2M35SStage 2 Separation
  8. T+2M38SSES
  9. T+3M12SFairing Separation
  10. T+6M29SBattery Hotswap
  11. T+9M5SSECO
  12. T+9M9SKick Stage Separation
  13. T+51M43SKick Stage Ignition
  14. T+53M54SKick Stage Cut-off
  15. T+54M44SPayload Separation

Catalogued objects

3 catalogued: 1 payload, 2 rocket stages; 1 still in orbit

  • RAISE-4 · NORAD 67073 · in orbit

Electron 77 Stage 2 · re-entered December 24, 2025

Electron 77 Kick Stage · re-entered February 1, 2026

Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org

About this launch

RAISE-4 (RApid Innovative payload demonstration Satellite-4) is a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) satellite for on-orbit demonstrations of 15 demonstration components and equipment selected by public solicitation. The satellite will be operated in response to requests from the demonstration theme proposers, and will provide experimental data of the demonstration devices and environmental data during the experiments. 6 of the demonstration payload, as well as as well as 4 cubesats originally planned to ride on the same launch vehicle, are re-flight of those planned for RAISE-3, which failed to reach orbit in October 2022. The launch vehicle was switched from Epsilon-S to Rocket Lab's Electron due to continuous testing problems with the Epsilon-S' 2nd stage motor. The original 8 hitch-hiking cubesats will be launched on another Electron rocket later.

Official page: rocketlabcorp.com

Pad

Map of Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

33rd launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, 8th this year · 68th from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Local pad time at liftoff: Dec 14, 4:09 PM GMT+13, in daylight

41 launches from this pad · 84 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

38 days after the previous launch from this pad

All launches from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New ZealandOpen in maps

Updates

Launch success.

Nosu · Dec 14, 2025 · source

Show 9 earlier updates

  • Spacecraft separation.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 12/14/2025 · source

  • Liftoff.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 12/14/2025 · source

  • Updated launch weather, 90% GO.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 12/14/2025 · source

  • Tweaked T-0.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 12/13/2025 · source

  • Rescheduled for December 14.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 12/11/2025 · source

  • Delayed from December 12 due to launch site weather, new launch date TBD.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 12/11/2025 · source

  • Delayed to December 13.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 12/10/2025 · source

  • Delayed to NET December 12.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 12/8/2025 · source

  • Delayed to December 9.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 12/6/2025 · source

Questions

When did Raise and Shine (RAISE-4) launch?

Raise and Shine (RAISE-4) launched on December 14, 2025 at 03:09 UTC.

Where can I watch Raise and Shine (RAISE-4)?

Coverage: Rocket Lab - 'RAISE and Shine' Launch for JAXA; 革新的衛星技術実証4号機（小型実証衛星4号機）打上げライブ中継. Watch the replay

What rocket launched Raise and Shine (RAISE-4)?

Electron, flown by Rocket Lab. Electron spec sheet

Where did Raise and Shine (RAISE-4) launch from?

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand. Liftoff was Dec 14, 4:09 PM GMT+13 local time at the pad.

What orbit did Raise and Shine (RAISE-4) reach?

RAISE-4, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 544 × 560 km orbit inclined 97.5°.

How many satellites did Raise and Shine (RAISE-4) launch?

1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).