Rocket Lab said eight of the 18 military communication satellites in its $515 million contract with the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) are now in production. The satellites are part of the SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture and are scheduled to launch by July 2027.
Rocket Lab shares rose more than 1% in overnight trading. The update came a day after the company said the second stage of its Neutron rocket was heading for launch-site testing.
The company is also moving key Neutron components to its Wallops Island launch site for ground system testing. Rocket Lab anticipates the rocket’s first flight in 2027.