Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) is a publicly traded Launch Vehicles company founded in 2006 and based in Long Beach, United States.
| Date | Stage | Amount | Valuation | Lead investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 2021 | IPO (SPAC) | — | $4.1B | — |
Rocket Lab reported Q2 2026 revenue of $234 million, a 62% year-over-year increase driven by strong demand across launch and space systems. Gross margin was 36.1% GAAP; operating margin was negative 24.5% (operating loss of $57.5 million on revenue of $234 million). The company reported a net loss of $49.3 million, or $0.08 per share (basic and diluted), versus a loss of $66.4 million or $0.13 per share in Q2 2025. Backlog reached a record $2.36 billion, up 137% year-over-year. Operationally, Rocket Lab signed over $437 million in new launch contracts across its Electron, HASTE, and Neutron vehicles; awarded a $397 million Space Force contract for multiple Flatellite spacecraft and the SB-AMTI program; and awarded over $160 million in geostationary satellite contracts. The company also closed acquisitions of Mynaric and Motiv, and announced a landmark agreement to acquire Iridium Communications. For Q3 2026, the company guides to revenue between $250 million and $265 million.
Q3 2026 revenue $250–265 million

A second Chinese launch company successfully lands an orbital-class reusable booster, marking rapid progress in China's reusable rocket race.

Rocket Lab wins a Space Force contract to test Photon spacecraft interoperability with the Space Data Network's SpaceX-built core infrastructure in 2027.

Wallops Island invests in infrastructure to support a projected surge in launches from the Virginia spaceport.

An industry analysis argues cheaper launch shifts the engineering bottleneck from mass constraints to surface-area constraints for spacecraft design.

Rocket Lab develops GHOST, a containerized launch infrastructure for mobile orbital and suborbital Electron missions.

Kepler Communications books payloads on Rocket Lab's Neutron for a 2028 optical relay satellite launch.
Two-stage small-lift orbital launch vehicle that carries up to roughly 300 kg to low Earth orbit, purpose-built for dedicated small-satellite missions. Powered by 3D-printed, electric-pump-fed Rutherford engines, Electron is the most frequently flown small launcher in the US and has completed dozens of missions for commercial, government, and defense customers. Rocket Lab has demonstrated booster recovery from the ocean and via helicopter catch as steps toward reuse, and offers responsive, scheduled launch cadence.
Reusable medium-lift launch vehicle under development, designed to carry roughly 13 tonnes to low Earth orbit with a returnable first stage, targeting constellation deployment and national security launch. Neutron uses a carbon-composite structure and Rocket Lab's in-house Archimedes oxygen-rich staged-combustion engines. CEO Peter Beck has said Neutron remains on track for a first flight in the fourth quarter of 2026, contingent on Archimedes engine qualification testing. It is positioned as a direct competitor to SpaceX's Falcon 9.
Vertically integrated spacecraft and components business spanning the Photon satellite platform, satellite buses, reaction wheels, star trackers, separation systems, solar cells, and radios. Rocket Lab manufactures and operates end-to-end space missions for commercial and government customers, including interplanetary and lunar spacecraft. The Space Systems segment has become the larger share of company revenue, and Rocket Lab has expanded it through acquisitions including laser-communications maker Mynaric (closed April 2026) and satellite-payload manufacturer Geost (acquired in 2025), strengthening its hand as a national-security prime contractor.
1 patent on file, but none with both an extractable figure and an abstract on Google Patents yet.
We don't have a live feed for this company's ATS. Their careers page has every open role.
View all careers ↗