Washington – The new generation of Rocket Lab neutron rocket was selected for an experimental American air force mission to test rapid world goods delivery capacities, an important step for the company while it grows further on the national security launch market.
The mission, scheduled for the earliest in 2026, will fall under the “Rocket Cargo” program of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), which explores how commercial launch vehicles could one day provide equipment at any point on earth in a few hours – a vision similar to air transport logistics via a space flight.
Rocket Lab announced the allocation on May 8. The value of the contract has not been disclosed.
The founder and CEO of the company Peter Beck, speaking during a first quarter of results, described the Air Force initiative as in its infancy. “This program is really at the very beginning of its development within the United States government,” said Beck. “So I think we are very in the experimental phase. And it will be interesting to see if this is transformed into a complete requirement for an operational capacity. ”
Beck added that it is “good to be on this program, work there early”.
The freight test would be a “survival experience”. The neutron should carry a payload which will reintegrate the atmosphere of the earth, demonstrating the capacity of the rocket to transport and deploy cargo safely. Beck noted that the launch will be a “multi-manifest” mission, bearing several useful charges.
Neutron, designed to raise up to 13,000 kg up to a low terrestrial orbit, remains on time for its inaugural launch in 2025, said Beck. The company reports that the construction of launching ramps in Wallops Island, Virginia and the development of rockets continues to progress as planned.
Nssl the “big news” this quarter
The cargo experience contract follows what Beck described as the “big news of this quarter” – the selection of Rocket Lab to compete with national security launch contracts.
The Space Systems Command announced on March 27 that Rocket Lab and Stoke Space could compete with the established players Blue Origin, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) in the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 program 3 Lane 1. This contract structure to delivery to indefinite / indefinite allows the selecting companies launching until 2029, with at least 30 missions which should be allocated – totaling approximately $ 5.6 billion in task orders.
Beck described the selection of lane 1 a “huge voting of confidence of the Pentagon”.
“We are also the only listed company on the stock market to always take the NSSL,” he noted. “Once we are obvious to the first launch of Neutron, we are going to bid for the task orders.”
After his inclusion in NSSL, Rocket Lab received a $ 5 million task prescription for the first mission insurance opinions. Beck said that the company had since organized a kick -off meeting with the main stakeholders in the government, in particular the assured access of the US Space Force at the space office and the launch of the National Recognition Office office.
