Rocket Lab USA Inc. Awarded $266 Million U.S. Department of War Suborbital Launch Contract
Rocket Lab USA Inc., listed on NASDAQ under the ticker RKLB and headquartered in Long Beach, California, has been granted a firm‑fixed‑price completion contract valued at $266 million by the U.S. Department of War. The contract, identified by activity number FA8818-26-C-B003, obligates the company to provide suborbital launch services for a total of twelve launch vehicles, with an additional six launches available as optional extensions.
All launch operations will be conducted from the Pacific Spaceport Complex located in Alaska, and the contract stipulates that the work must be completed no later than 31 December 2028. The award resulted from a competitive acquisition process that attracted three separate offers, and the Space Systems Command based at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, serves as the contracting activity overseeing the agreement.
At the time of award, the U.S. government is obligating $112 million in Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) funds toward the contract. Under the terms of the firm‑fixed‑price arrangement, Rocket Lab will execute the suborbital launches from the Alaska facility, delivering the services as specified without additional cost adjustments.