Rocket Lab Awarded Landmark $816 Million U.S. Space Force Contract for Missile Tracking Satellites

Rocket Lab has secured its largest-ever single contract, an $816 million deal with the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) to design, manufacture, and deliver 18 satellites for the U.S. Space Force. The satellites are for the Tracking Layer Tranche 3 program, which is designed to provide global, persistent detection and tracking of advanced missile threats, including hypersonic systems.

The contract consists of an $806 million base plus $10.45 million in options. This award is part of a larger $3.5 billion set of contracts awarded by the SDA to four companies, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and L3Harris, to build a total of 72 satellites for the missile tracking constellation. For Rocket Lab, this agreement brings its total contract value with the SDA to over $1.3 billion. Following the announcement, Rocket Lab's stock saw an increase in after-hours trading.