WASHINGTON ― Rocket Lab is set to acquire satellite communications (SATCOM) provider Iridium — a move that tops off a five-year buying spree designed to vertically integrate the company into a full-service space-defense provider.
The transaction will give Rocket Lab an immediate foothold in space-based applications, and will help it realize its long-term strategic vision to expand beyond launch services and spacecraft manufacturing into a company with recurring revenue from satellite services, according to a joint Rocket Lab-Iridium statement issued today.
“By marrying Iridium’s deep heritage, trusted infrastructure, and highly sought-after spectrum with Rocket Lab’s extensive and proven launch and manufacturing capabilities, we have the capability to unlock entirely new markets,” Rocket Lab’s founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck said in the joint statement.
A Rocket Lab spokesperson told Breaking Defense today in an email that the deal “accelerates Rocket Lab’s entry into space applications and ‘space as a service.'”
“With this acquisition we expect to have the ability to respond to any and all market demands and directions,” the Rocket Lab spokesperson said. “Vertical integration is at the heart of this combination — the ability to build, launch, and operate our own spacecraft quickly and cost-effectively.”
