Rocket Lab Caps Record Year, Lands $816 Million Defense Contract

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) stock rose Monday after the company disclosed that it successfully launched its 21st Electron rocket of the year.

The company has deployed a satellite for the multi-launch customer Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS), a Japan-based Earth imaging company.

Details

The “The Wisdom God Guides” mission launched from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand on Dec. 21 at 7:36 p.m. local time (06:36 UTC), delivering the QPS-SAR-15 satellite for Japan-based iQPS.

Also Read: Rocket Lab Deploys First Dedicated Launch For Japan’s Space Agency

The satellite will strengthen iQPS’s SAR constellation, providing near-real-time imagery across 12 orbits.

The flight marked Electron’s 21st launch of the year, setting a new annual record with a perfect mission success rate.

The “The Wisdom God Guides” mission is the 79th Electron flight and final launch of 2025, successfully deploying the QPS-SAR-15 satellite for iQPS.

Rocket Lab has launched seven satellites for iQPS since 2023, with Electron serving as the company’s primary launcher, and five additional missions are planned for 2026.

The company has scheduled the next Electron launch for early in the first quarter of 2026.

Management Commentary

Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, added, “In 2026, we’re expanding Electron’s global reach with more multi-launch constellation deployments, dedicated missions for domestic civil space and international space agencies in Japan and Europe, and both suborbital and orbital launches with defense applications for hypersonic technology and national security.”

“Our new record of annual launches and the breadth of upcoming missions go to show how much of a global impact Electron continues to have on the space industry, and we’re looking forward to another year of continued execution in 2026.”

Bagging Largest Ever Contract

Last week, the company’s subsidiary, Rocket Lab USA, Inc., secured its largest-ever contract, worth $816 million, from the U.S. Space Development Agency to design and build 18 satellites for the Tracking Layer Tranche 3 (TRKT3) program under the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

The satellites will feature advanced sensors for missile warning, tracking, and defense, providing persistent global monitoring of emerging threats, including hypersonic systems, highlighting Rocket Lab’s growing role as a trusted national security space partner.

RKLB Price Action: Rocket Lab shares were up 4.65% at $73.80 during premarket trading on Friday. The stock is trading near its 52-week high of $73.97, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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Photo by T.Schneider via Shutterstock