Rocket Lab USA secured a $266 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to support space-based missile defense missions.
Rocket Lab USA secured a $266 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to support space-based missile defense missions. The administration announced that the company will be responsible for 12 suborbital launches and an additional six launches on behalf of the Space Force. These launches will be conducted from a new fourth launchpad at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska, starting next year. Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck stated that the scale of the contract reflects the Space Force's confidence in the company's ability to meet urgent national security demands with speed and responsiveness. The agreement signals a move toward revenue diversification for the company beyond commercial services. This contract comes at a time of rising U.S.-Iran geopolitical tensions, which have drove a broader demand in the defense sector. While the stock has been down over 8% this year, it has climbed 33% over the past 12 months.