Rocket Lab Wins $266 Million Space Force Contract for Missile Defense Launches
The deal marks the company's largest single launch contract and positions Rocket Lab as a key partner in U.S. hypersonic testing efforts from Alaska.
Rocket Lab has secured a $266 million firm-fixed-price contract with the U.S. Space Force to conduct suborbital launches in support of missile defense missions—the largest single launch agreement in the company's publicly disclosed history.
The agreement, awarded by the Space Systems Command's Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP), covers 12 initial suborbital launch missions with options for up to six additional flights, bringing the potential total to 18 launches. The first mission is scheduled for no earlier than late 2026.
Alaska Launch Site Selected
Missions will launch primarily from the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska (PSCA) in Kodiak. The facility operates as a dual-use spaceport supporting both commercial and government launches.
The contract utilizes Rocket Lab's HASTE vehicle—Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron—derived from the company's Electron rocket. The HASTE platform is designed specifically for hypersonic testing and rapid-response missions requiring suborbital trajectories.
Strategic Shift for Rocket Lab
This deal marks a significant expansion of Rocket Lab's business beyond its core commercial small-satellite deployment services. The Long Beach, California-based company has increasingly pursued defense and national security contracts as it diversifies revenue streams and demonstrates capabilities to government customers.
The contract underscores the U.S. Space Force's broader strategy to diversify its launch provider base. By adding Rocket Lab to its roster of approved vendors, the Space Force aims to increase launch capacity and accelerate testing timelines for hypersonic weapons and missile defense systems—areas where the United States has prioritized rapid development amid great-power competition.
Competitive Acquisition
The RSLP conducted a competitive acquisition process before awarding the contract to Rocket Lab. The firm-fixed-price structure provides the Space Force with cost certainty while giving Rocket Lab flexibility in mission execution.
Suborbital launches follow a ballistic trajectory, reaching space before returning to Earth without achieving orbit. These flights are critical for testing hypersonic vehicles, reentry systems, and missile defense interceptors without the complexity and cost of full orbital insertion.
The Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska offers geographic advantages for these missions, including a clear downrange corridor over the ocean and proximity to test ranges used by the Department of Defense.