Rocket Lab – Spaceflight Now

Window for 2026 launch debut of Rocket Lab’s Neutron rocket ‘is narrowing’ as development continues

August 10, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The announcement came in a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ahead of a quarterly investor earnings call on Aug. 10.

Rocket Lab announces five-launch Neutron deal as it continues aiming for late 2026 debut

May 7, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The company pivoted to a Neutron rocket launch debut no earlier than the fourth quarter of 2026 following a first stage tank test failure earlier this year. The first flight of Neutron won’t be reusable, but aims to recover the first stage during its second flight with a landing barge.

Space Development Agency awards roughly $3.5 billion to 4 companies for 72 missile tracking and warning satellites

December 20, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

This batch of satellites will populate what the SDA calls the Tracking Layer of its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) constellation in low Earth orbit. The work will be divided evenly, with each company building 18 spacecraft.

Rocket Lab launches 4 novel DiskSat satellites for U.S. Space Force, NASA

December 18, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The STP-S30 mission was moved up five months on the launch manifest for Rocket Lab. This was the 20th launch of an Electron rocket in 2025.

Rocket Lab Electron rocket aborts liftoff at engine ignition

December 15, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The ‘Bridging the Swarm’ mission comes two days after the company launched its ‘RAISE and Shine’ flight for JAXA. Liftoff is scheduled for 1:55 p.m. NZDT / 0055 UTC on Dec. 16 (7:45 p.m. EST on Dec. 15).

Blue Origin launches twin Mars probes for NASA as New Glenn makes first landing

November 13, 2025 William Harwood

Blue Origin launched its second heavy-lift New Glenn rocket Thursday, putting two small NASA satellites onto a long, looping course to Mars to learn more about how the sun has slowly blown away the red planet’s once thick atmosphere.

Launch preview: Blue Origin to launch NASA’s ESCAPADE following scrubs from clouds, space weather

November 13, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

Blue Origin was able to secure permission from the Federal Aviation Administration for a daytime launch attempt while the emergency order constraining commercial launches remains in place even after the end of the government shutdown. Liftoff is scheduled during an 88-minute-long window that opens at 2:57 p.m. EST (1957 UTC).

NASA scrubs ESCAPADE launch due to ‘highly elevated solar activity’

November 11, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

Blue Origin was able to secure permission from the Federal Aviation Administration for a daytime launch attempt while the emergency order constraining commercial launches remains in place during the government shutdown. However, the solar storms are forcing Blue Origin and NASA to find a new launch opportunity.

Rocket Lab delays debut of Neutron rocket to 2026

November 11, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab’s CEO, said during an earnings call on Monday that the rocket would arrive at Launch Complex 3 on Wallops Island, Virginia, sometime in the first quarter of 2026, “with first launch thereafter.”

Rocket Lab launches 7th StriX Earth observation satellites for Japan-based Synspective

October 14, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The ‘Owl New World’ mission was the 13th orbital Electron launch of 2025. The synthetic aperture radar satellite was deployed into a circular low Earth orbit roughly 50 minutes after liftoff from Mahia, New Zealand.