{"city":"Long Beach","name":"Rocket Lab","slug":"rocket-lab","facts":[{"date":"2028-01-01","type":"partnership","value":"Kepler Communications will deploy next-generation optical relay satellites on Rocket Lab's Neutron","source":"SpaceNews"},{"date":"2028-01-01","type":"deployment","value":"Kepler Communications optical relay satellites planned for deployment on Neutron","source":"SpaceNews"},{"date":"2028-01-01","type":"partnership","value":"Kepler Communications to deploy next-generation optical relay satellites on Neutron","source":"SpaceNews"},{"date":"2028-01-01","type":"deployment","value":"Kepler Communications to deploy next-generation optical relay satellites on Neutron","source":"SpaceNews"},{"date":"2027-06-01","type":"deployment","value":"PolSIR spacecraft launch on Electron from Launch Complex 1, no earlier than June 2027","source":"SpaceNews"},{"date":"2027-06-01","type":"deployment","value":"PolSIR spacecraft launch on Electron from Launch Complex 1 no earlier than June 2027","source":"SpaceNews"}],"peers":[{"name":"CAS Space","rank":78,"slug":"cas-space","score":"66.5"},{"name":"Isar Aerospace","rank":79,"slug":"isar-aerospace","score":"66.5"},{"name":"Skyroot Aerospace","rank":87,"slug":"skyroot-aerospace","score":"65.5"},{"name":"Galactic Energy","rank":88,"slug":"galactic-energy","score":"65"}],"stage":"Public","state":"California","aliases":["Rocket Lab","Rocket Lab USA"],"country":"United States","domains":[{"why":"Rocket Lab operates the Electron small launch vehicle and sells launch services to commercial, government and defense customers, and is developing the larger Neutron rocket.","list":"Space 100","rank":4,"tier":"member","layer":"Launch","total":89,"domain":"Space","scores":{"leverage":8,"position":8,"progress":10,"firepower":10,"commercial":9,"deployment":10,"production":8,"technology":8},"edition":"November 2026","segment":"Small launch"}],"founded":2006,"signals":[{"date":"2026-10-28","header":"Rocket Lab announced an agreement to acquire Iridium Communications.","outlet":"Aerocontact.com"},{"date":"2026-10-23","header":"Rocket Lab launched three HawkEye 360 satellites on an Electron rocket from New Zealand.","outlet":"Novosti Kosmonavtiki"},{"date":"2026-10-23","header":"Rocket Lab launched three Hawk satellites into orbit for signals intelligence.","outlet":"Space.com"},{"date":"2026-10-16","header":"Rocket Lab delayed the first Neutron launch to no earlier than 2027.","outlet":"NASASpaceflight"},{"date":"2026-10-16","header":"Rocket Lab delayed Neutron’s first launch to 2027","outlet":"Raumfahrer.net"},{"date":"2026-10-15","header":"Rocket Lab delayed Neutron’s debut flight beyond 2026","outlet":"Space24"}],"website":"https://www.rocketlabusa.com","category":"Space · Launch","categories":[{"name":"Small launch","domain":"Space","parent":"Space · Launch"}],"last_round":null,"updated_at":"2026-10-30T10:01:09.278+00:00","facts_total":725,"positioning":"Rocket Lab runs small launch (Electron) while moving into medium reusable launch (Neutron) and spacecraft components, now its larger segment. Trailing revenue is about $769M (a record $234M in Q2-26, +62% YoY) but still loss-making (-$94M net in H1-26); backlog reached $2.36B, and it announced an agreement to acquire Iridium ($8B cash-and-stock, June 29, 2026, close targeted mid-2027) alongside an SDA Tranche 3 tracking-layer win. Neutron remains unflown and has slipped to late 2026 or early 2027, the valuation's central open question.","sub_category":"Small launch","signals_total":236,"url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/companies/rocket-lab","title":"Rocket Lab · space, Long Beach, California, United States · scores, facts and signals · Frontier Tech Intelligence","description":"Rocket Lab operates the Electron small launch vehicle and sells launch services to commercial, government and defense customers, and is developing the larger Neutron rocket. Space 100 rank 4 (score 89) 236 signals and 725 facts with sources.","publisher":"Frontier Tech Intelligence (Future Frontiers, a trade name of Essential Cognition Inc.)","note":"Assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence; facts and signals carry their sources."}