Rocket Lab secures $266M Space Force missile-defence deal

Rocket Lab has secured its largest launch contract to date, a $266 million agreement with the U.S. Space Force for up to 18 suborbital missile defense missions, the company announced on July 27, 2026. The deal significantly expands the company's military launch business and includes establishing a new launch site in Alaska.

The contract, awarded by the Space Force Space Systems Command's Rocket Systems Launch Program, covers 12 confirmed launches with options for six more. The first mission is scheduled to begin no earlier than late 2026. Most launches will be conducted from a new Rocket Lab facility at the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Kodiak Island, Alaska, marking the company's fourth launch site alongside its existing locations in New Zealand and Virginia.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said the contract demonstrates confidence in the company's ability to meet urgent national security demands. He stated that cadence, iteration, and relentless execution are essential to advancing U.S. missile defense capabilities, which the company provides through its launch leadership. The contract's size and scale reflect the Space Force's need for high-frequency launch capacity to...