Rocket Lab Wins Record $266 Million Space Force Contract

The United States Space Force awarded Rocket Lab Corporation a $266 million firm-fixed-price contract, the largest in the company's history, to support missile defense programs. The agreement, issued through the Space Systems Command’s Rocket Systems Launch Program, requires at least 12 suborbital launches using the HASTE hypersonic test vehicle, with options for six additional flights. The program aims to accelerate the collection of hypersonic flight-test data to maintain a strategic advantage over Russia and China.

Rocket Lab will establish a new launch base at the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska in Kodiak to fulfill the contract. This location was selected for its unobstructed launch windows and high-inclination trajectory capabilities. The first launch is expected by the end of 2026, with all work scheduled for completion by December 31, 2028. The deal is independent of the development of the company's Neutron rocket, and $112 million in fiscal 2025 funds were obligated at the time of the award.

This agreement follows a previous $190 million Pentagon contract for hypersonic flight testing and a partnership with RTX on the Golden Dome space-based missile-defense shield. Sir Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, 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 scale.