Rocket Lab tapped to join US Space Force national security launch initiative

Rocket Lab tapped to join US Space Force national security launch initiative
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 30, 2025

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has been named a qualified launch provider by the U.S. Space Force under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 program, a strategic effort to bolster America's most critical space missions. The five-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, valued up to $5.6 billion, allows Rocket Lab to compete for launches through June 2029.

Central to Rocket Lab's participation is its next-generation Neutron rocket, a reusable carbon composite launch vehicle engineered for medium-lift missions. Neutron is designed to deliver up to 13,000 kilograms to orbit, supporting both single-payload missions and multi-satellite constellation deployments. Built on Rocket Lab's track record of reliability-with 63 Electron launches completed and multiple orbital payload deliveries in 2025 alone-Neutron is positioned as a competitive contender in the defense launch market.

Neutron's inaugural launch is scheduled for the latter half of 2025 from Launch Complex 3 at Wallops Island, Virginia. With this mission, Neutron will become the first vehicle to support NSSL operations from the Mid-Atlantic region. Rocket Lab's inclusion in the program required meeting stringent eligibility standards, and a successful debut flight will make the company eligible to receive individual task orders for NSSL missions.

The NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 program aims to cultivate a diversified and resilient domestic launch capability, selecting just five companies to compete for up to 30 missions through 2029, with a potential extension to 2034. As part of its onboarding, Rocket Lab has secured a $5 million task order to demonstrate its mission assurance framework tailored for national security launches.

"Supporting assured access to space for the nation's most important missions has always been the goal with our Neutron rocket, and we're incredibly proud to [be] selected by the U.S. Space Force to demonstrate this commitment for the NSSL. Neutron is a powerful new launch option that will set a new standard for performance, affordability, and reliability in medium launch, and its selection to the program demonstrates a high degree of confidence by the Department of Defense in Neutron's capabilities ahead of its first launch later this year. We can't wait to showcase Neutron as the important platform it will become for the Department of Defense," said Rocket Lab Founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck.