4 minute read•Updated 7:08 PM EDT, Thu March 27, 2025
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a global leader in launch services and space systems, has been selected by the U.S. Space Force to compete for missions under the Department of Defense’s (DoD) prestigious National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 contract. This major milestone positions Rocket Lab as one of only five U.S. launch providers entrusted with the nation’s most critical national security payloads.
Neutron to Launch U.S. National Security Payloads
Rocket Lab’s next-generation launch vehicle, Neutron, will serve as the Company’s offering under the NSSL Phase 3 program.
“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.” - Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab Founder and CEO
The award is a firm-fixed price, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with a five-year ordering period extending through June 2029. The contract carries a potential maximum value of $5.6 billion, underscoring the importance of maintaining assured and diversified access to space for the Department of Defense and its mission partners.
Neutron is a 13-ton-class, carbon composite, reusable medium-lift rocket designed from the ground up to support high-assurance government and commercial missions alike, with a particular emphasis on constellation deployment and complex orbital architectures.
With a lift capacity of up to 13,000 kg to Low Earth Orbit, Neutron is being rapidly developed to serve as a highly responsive, affordable, and reliable launch option. The rocket will launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 3 (LC-3) at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) in Wallops Island, Virginia, making it the first NSSL-supported launch vehicle to operate from the region.
Rocket Lab’s selection for NSSL Lane 1 is based on its demonstrated capabilities and aggressive development progress. The Company is currently targeting Neutron’s first launch in the second half of 2025, and upon a successful flight, Rocket Lab will become fully eligible to compete for individual task orders under the NSSL program.
Initial Task Order & Path to Flight Readiness
As part of the on-ramp process into the NSSL Phase 3 program, Rocket Lab has been awarded a $5 million task order to perform a detailed capabilities assessment. This study will validate Rocket Lab’s tailored mission assurance approach, a critical factor for future NSSL mission awards.
NSSL Lane 1 is structured to promote innovation and competitiveness within the domestic launch sector. The program is expected to award a minimum of 30 missions between now and 2029, with the potential for extensions through 2034. These missions represent some of the highest-priority launches for the Department of Defense, often requiring enhanced performance, responsive timelines, and high reliability.
About Neutron
Neutron is engineered to fill a critical niche in the growing medium-lift market, with a focus on reusability, rapid launch cadence, and payload versatility. The rocket’s innovative design integrates the first stage and payload fairing into a single recoverable unit, streamlining recovery operations and reducing turnaround time.
Key features of Neutron include:
Reusable first stage and fairing assembly
Carbon composite construction for lightweight strength
Nine Archimedes engines on Stage 1 and one vacuum-optimized Archimedes engine on Stage 2
Launch and recovery operations based out of Wallops Island, VA
Capability to support single and multiple satellite deployments, including mega-constellations
Neutron’s development is heavily informed by Rocket Lab’s extensive experience operating Electron, its proven small-lift launch vehicle which has completed 63 missions to date.
Rocket Lab is currently one of only two U.S. launch providers to have launched multiple payloads to orbit in 2025, highlighting its growing reliability and cadence.
