Space Force Picks Rocket Lab for Suborbital Launches From Alaska
The contract includes up to 6 additional launches and starts with a flight expected no earlier than late 2026, Rocket Lab said.
- On July 27, Rocket Lab Corporation secured a $266 million contract from the U.S. Space Force through the Rocket Systems Launch Program to conduct 12 suborbital launches, marking the company's largest single launch agreement to date.
- The Department of War is increasingly prioritizing smaller, cost-effective launch vehicles over expensive, infrequent missions to test missile defense systems; suborbital flights serve as the primary tool for validating interceptor technology and sensors.
- Most missions will launch from the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska in Kodiak, Alaska, a new site offering high-latitude flight paths over the Pacific Ocean ideal for suborbital testing, adding a fourth location to Rocket Lab's existing network in New Zealand and Virginia.
- Operations under the contract are expected to begin no earlier than the end of 2026, with the Space Force retaining options for up to six additional launches, providing flexibility to scale the program based on early mission performance.
- Rocket Lab CEO Sir Peter Beck stated, "Cadence, iteration, and relentless execution are essential to maturing America's missile defense capabilities," emphasizing the company's position as a critical enabler for national security missions.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Rocket Lab to start launching missile-defense missions from Alaska under $266 million Space Force deal
Rocket Lab is expanding its launch operations to the snowy north.The California-based company, which already flies from New Zealand and Virginia, just inked a $266 million deal with the U.S. Space Force to fly up to 18 missile-defense missions, most of them from Alaska."The size and scale of this contract reflects the Space Force's confidence in our ability to meet their urgent national security demands with speed, responsiveness and scale, and …
Space Force Picks Rocket Lab for Suborbital Launches from Alaska
The Space Force awarded Rocket Lab a $266 million contract to launch 12 suborbital missions over the next three years—most of them from a new launch pad in Alaska. The contract, which runs through 2028, is the space company’s largest ever launch deal and includes options for six more missions. “The size and scale of this contract reflects the Space Force’s confidence in our ability to meet their urgent national security demands with speed, re…
Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) Secures $266 Million Space Force Contract, Stock Surges Premarket
Rocket Lab USA (NASDAQ: RKLB) shares jumped nearly 5% in premarket trading Monday after the company landed its largest U.S. government rocket launch contract to date. The United States Space Force selected Rocket Lab to support space-based missile defense missions through a newly signed launch services contract valued at $266 million. Under the terms of the agreement, Rocket Lab will be responsible for executing 12 suborbital launches along with…
The Hamilton Spectator
pmg-ky3.comFrequency Electronics Inc. Announces Space Mission Contract Award Valued at Approximately $8 million
MITCHEL FIELD, N.Y., July 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Frequency Electronics, Inc. (“FEI” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ-FEIM), a leading provider of precision timing and frequency control products for space and terrestrial applications, is pleased to announce the award of a…
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