Rocket Lab Signs Record Launch Contract and Acquires Motiv Space Systems

Rocket Lab signed the largest launch contract in its history with a confidential customer, securing a bulk order of five Neutron launches and three Electron launches scheduled between 2026 and 2029. The missions will lift off from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand and Launch Complex 3 in Virginia. The deal pushes the company's total launch manifest past 70 missions and its backlog to a record $2.2 billion, surpassing a previous record set earlier in 2026 — a $190 million agreement with the United States Department of Defense for hypersonic test flights using the HASTE vehicle.

The contract announcement coincided with Rocket Lab reporting record first-quarter 2026 revenue of approximately $200 million, a 63% year-over-year increase that beat analyst consensus of $180 million. Despite the revenue surge, the company posted a net loss of $45 million, an improvement from the $60.6 million loss in the year-ago quarter. Rocket Lab signed 31 to 36 new launch contracts in the quarter, with major deals including a $190 million Department of Defense contract, an $816 million prime contract to build a missile defence constellation for the Space Development Agency, and a $30 million sub-contract with Anduril Industries for HASTE launches. The company also partnered with Raytheon on the Space-Based Interceptor programme.

CEO Sir Peter Beck positioned Rocket Lab for the Trump administration's planned Golden Dome space missile shield and cut his own salary to $1 to fund Neutron engineering hires. The first Neutron launch was delayed to Q4 2026. Additionally, Rocket Lab agreed to acquire California-based Motiv Space Systems, a specialist in advanced space robotic systems used on NASA Mars rover missions, bringing planetary exploration robotics design and manufacturing in-house. Second-quarter revenue is forecast between $225 million and $240 million, and shares surged 34% to a record high.