Long Beach, California. May 8, 2025. Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “The Company”), a world leader in launch services and space systems, announced today that it will launch its new mission of a reusable a request to the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for a commercial launch mission to advance the world’s defense logists Defense. The mission is planned for a launch of neutrons back to the earth at the beginning of 2026.
The launch contract will see the neutrons execute an experience of survival of rocket cargoes under the solicitation AFRL Rocket Experimentation for Global Agile Logistics (Regal), an effort from the Ministry of Defense to create a point -based point -based transport system to quickly and quickly provide cargo in the world with commercial launch suppliers. AFRL’s experience will be launched by the atmosphere of neutrons and re -entry, in a demonstration of the return to school capacity for future royal missions.
The reusable launch vehicle with Rocket Lab Neutron Medium-Lift will offer government customers and alternative and reliable sales customers capable of deploying 13,000 kg on a low terrestrial orbit. Neutron is adapted to the deployment of national security constellations and missions as well as useful charges of science and exploration. In addition to serving customers with greater affordability on the average launch market, Neutron is essential to the Rocket Lab strategy as an end -to -end space company preparing to deploy its own constellations and provide services in the future.
Sir Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, said: “Neutron is a new powerful launch option that will establish a new standard for performance, affordability and reliability for government and commercial space users in an average degree. POINT TO LOGISTICS FOR DOD. »»
Neutron is strongly positioned to capitalize on the launching requirements of the average version for future government and commercial missions. Recently, significant progress continues to be made on the launch ramp of the rocket on the island of Wallops, Virginia, with the completion of the site planned for the coming weeks. Production, scaling infrastructure and archimedes’ engines and large-scale components continue to rhythm through the various Rocket Lab production and test facilities in the United States. Neutron’s beginnings remain on the right track for the first launch in the second half of 2025.
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Contact for rocket media
Murielle Baker
media@rocketlabusa.com
About neutrons
Rocket Lab’s new Rocket Rocket Rocket Rocket is a new generation challenger to provide a profitable, reliable and responsive launch service for commercial and government missions. The advanced neutrons design includes carbon composite for all the main structures of the rocket and an innovative superior stage which allows high performance for complex satellite deployments, including the deployment of satellite mega-consottellations. The launch vehicle in Neutron is a reusable launch vehicle taking advantage of the technology and infrastructure launched by the electron launch vehicle, which has launched 63 times to date and provides the US government and commercial customers an affordable and affordable access to space. Neutron uses a unique design that brings back step 1 and the ground payrolls on the ground as a unique integrated stage. This maximizes the rate in a reusable performance capacity of 13 tonnes with orbit. The neutron is propelled by nine archimeded engines to step 1, and an archimedes optimized under vacuum on stage 2. Neutron works from the Rocket Lab 3 launch complex (LC-3) located in Wallops Island, in Virginia, from the Mid-Atlantic regional space (March).
Images: Neutron | Flick
About Rocket Lab
Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is a spatial company from start to finish with an established experience in the success of the mission. We provide reliable launch services, the manufacture of satellites, the components of space vessels and orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier and more affordable to access the space. Based in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Orbital Electron Small Orbital launch vehicle, a family of spatial vessels experienced in flight, and the company is developing the large neutrons launch vehicle for the deployment of the constellation. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, the Electron Lab launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched launch launched per year and has delivered more than 200 orbit satellites for private and public organizations, allowing operations in terms of national security, scientific research, attenuation of space debris, earth observation, climate surveillance and communication. Rocket Lab’s family of spaceships was selected to support NASA’s missions on the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch ramps on two launch sites, including two launching ramps on a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia. To find out more, visit www.rocketlabusa.com.
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