An illustration of Neutron launching a set of satellites. Credit: Rocket Lab
WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab warned that the chances of launching its Neutron rocket for the first time before the end of the year are “narrowing” despite progress on the vehicle’s development.
Rocket Lab executives used an Aug. 10 earnings call to both emphasize the progress on Neutron, its medium-lift reusable rocket, and demand for the vehicle. That included a contract announced that day to launch satellites for Kepler Communications on a Neutron no earlier than 2028.
“As with any complex development program, we’ve had to tweak a few things along the way, but we’re moving now into final checkout and assembly of all of our flight hardware before integrating them at the pad,” Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab, said on the call.
Ongoing work on the vehicle’s two stages, engines and other systems, he said, “lines up with our target delivery of Neutron to the pad in Q4 2026.”
