Raise and Shine (RAISE-4)

Mission

Raise and Shine (RAISE-4) on Electron. Sun 14 Dec 2025, 03:09 UTC. Reported outcome: Success. Launch site: Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B. Source: Launch Library 2.

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.

Mission type

Technology

Orbit

Sun-Synchronous Orbit

Launch timeline

Times are relative to liftoff.

1. T-2 minSun 14 Dec, 04:07 CET

   Startup

   The onboard computer takes control over the countdown and runs last checks

2. T-2 sSun 14 Dec, 04:08 CET

   Ignition

   Start of the engine ignition sequence

3. T-0Sun 14 Dec, 04:09 CET

   Liftoff

   First upwards movement of the rocket

4. T+1 min 3 sSun 14 Dec, 04:10 CET

   Supersonic

   Vehicle is supersonic

5. T+1 min 10 sSun 14 Dec, 04:10 CET

   Max-Q

   Maximum dynamic pressure

6. T+2 min 31 sSun 14 Dec, 04:11 CET

   MECO

   Cut-off of the main engine

7. T+2 min 35 sSun 14 Dec, 04:11 CET

   Stage 2 Separation

   Separation of the second stage from the first

8. T+2 min 38 sSun 14 Dec, 04:11 CET

   SES

   Start of the second engine

9. T+3 min 12 sSun 14 Dec, 04:12 CET

   Fairing Separation

   Separation of the payload fairing

10. T+6 min 29 sSun 14 Dec, 04:15 CET

    Battery Hotswap

    Electron Second stages switches to a new set of batteries and jettisons the depleted ones.

11. T+9 min 5 sSun 14 Dec, 04:18 CET

    SECO

    Cut-off of the second engine

12. T+9 min 9 sSun 14 Dec, 04:18 CET

    Kick Stage Separation

    Separation of the kick stage from the previous stage

13. T+51 min 43 sSun 14 Dec, 05:00 CET

    Kick Stage Ignition

    Start of the kick stage engine

14. T+53 min 54 sSun 14 Dec, 05:02 CET

    Kick Stage Cut-off

    Cut-off of the kick stage engine

15. T+54 min 44 sSun 14 Dec, 05:03 CET

    Payload Separation

    Final deployment of the payload from the rocket

Slip history

Changes recorded by Space Right Now

No changes since we started tracking on Sat 10 Oct 2026, 11:18 UTC.

Launch pad

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand (NZ)

Coordinates: -39.262833, 177.864469