To ensure successful mission deployment and to further accelerate the QPS-SAR Project, Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS) selected KSATlite, KSAT’s fully automated Ground Segment-as-a-Service designed for small satellites and mega-constellations, to serve their future constellation expansion. KSAT will implement and provide services from our global ground network to deliver time-critical data.
“KSAT is honored to continue supporting iQPS’s rapidly scaling QPS-SAR Project. As we share purpose-driven space capabilities with a practical societal and strategic mission, iQPS continues to be our cordial and long-term partner to KSAT, and we are grateful for their trust in us,” said Kenneth Olafsson, Head of KSAT Asia & Representative Director of KSAT Japan.
“KSAT has been a crucial part of our SAR mission since our second mission, providing Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) support and its ground network for mission-critical operations. KSAT’s proven track record and globally reliable infrastructure make it our highly trusted partner to advance our mission,” said Dr. Shunsuke Onishi, President and Representative Director, CEO at iQPS.
From the signing seremony in Tokyo, from left: Mr. Fredrik Steen, Minister Counsellor, Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo, Marte Indregard, Preseident and CEO of KSAT, Mr. Shunsuke Onishi, President and Representative Director, CEO, iQPS, Mr. Wataru Takahama, Director, Space Industry Division, Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI).
The data gathered by the QPS-SAR constellation has the potential to revolutionize industries and reshape the future. By leveraging insights from moving object data, iQPS aims to unlock new economic value, enhance urban safety and security, and provide predictive analytics for agriculture, national economies, and regional markets when integrated with weather, market, and economic data. iQPS currently has nine commercial satellites in operation and is scheduled to expand its constellation to 24 satellites by late May 2028, and to 36 satellites by 2030.
Header Image: iQPS-SAR satellite constellation image.
About iQPS
Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS) is a pioneering space startup founded in 2005 by two Emeritus Professors from Kyushu University and a rocket developer with the mission of establishing a space industry in Japan’s Kyushu region. Building on more than 20 years of small satellite development expertise at Kyushu University, iQPS now brings together a dynamic team of young engineers, industry leaders, and visionary professors emeritus. The company’s growth is further strengthened by the support of over 25 partner companies throughout Japan, primarily based in northern Kyushu.
