NASA picks Rocket Lab for three 2027 science missions

NASA has selected Rocket Lab to launch three dedicated science missions in 2027, a significant contract win for the company as its stock faces a steep decline from recent highs. The space agency awarded the launch provider three Electron rocket launches for the Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer (PolSIR) and Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-2 (TSIS2) missions.

The PolSIR mission, which aims to study tropical ice clouds to improve climate and weather models, will require two back-to-back Electron launches from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, no earlier than June 2027. The TSIS2 mission, designed to measure the Sun’s energy output and its influence on Earth’s climate, is scheduled for a separate Electron launch from the same site in early 2027. The awards were made under NASA’s Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) program, a contract vehicle with a potential total value of up to $300 million over ten years.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck stated that Electron has become synonymous with reliability and precise orbital accuracy, noting the company has been delivering for NASA missions for nearly a decade. The...