Rocket Lab delays Neutron rocket debut to 2027
The company says manufacturing and testing are progressing and that it will give further updates as work continues
Published
Chart: RKLB, one-minute prices, three sessions
Rocket Lab said the first launch of its Neutron rocket is now expected in 2027, a further slip from the timeline it had been maintaining. The company said it is working through key manufacturing and testing milestones and will update investors as that work continues. It gave no specific date within 2027 and did not say which milestones pushed the schedule back.
The delay is the latest in a series. Rocket Lab had targeted a late 2025 debut before chief executive Peter Beck moved it to 2026 on the company's third-quarter earnings call in November 2025, according to Space.com. A fuel tank ruptured during a pressure test in January 2026, pushing the target to late 2026, Spaceflight Now reported. By August 2026, the company said the window for a launch before year-end was narrowing, and Bloomberg reported that shares fell after Rocket Lab signaled Neutron might not fly until 2027.
Neutron is designed to carry up to 13,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit, a payload capacity meant to compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9, according to Space.com. It is the vehicle meant to carry Rocket Lab beyond its current Electron-based revenue into larger national security and commercial contracts, so each further delay extends the period before that heavier-lift business can start generating returns.
The new 2027 target also now falls in the same window the company has set for closing its acquisition of Iridium, expected to complete by mid-2027. That puts two major undertakings competing for management attention and capital at a time when Rocket Lab is also running a $1.944 billion financing effort.