Rocket Lab Corp (NASDAQ:RKLB) shares are trading higher Tuesday as NASA has moved toward a bulk purchase of rocket launches for its planned moon base. Here’s what you should know.
- Rocket Lab shares are powering higher. What’s driving RKLB stock higher?
Rocket Lab Gains as NASA Nears a Bulk Launch Purchase
NASA is preparing to unveil a bulk order of rocket launches to support its $30 billion push for a permanent moon base, Bloomberg reported. Rockets are in short supply while demand soars across the space industry, and the plan targets that squeeze. NASA wants to beat the bottleneck by purchasing several types of rockets now.
Carlos García-Galán, NASA’s moon base program manager, told Bloomberg the agency will “probably announce the first set of these bulk buys” soon. The agency could order four or five different rockets in a batch and assign each one to a commercial lander it needs on the moon. NASA could also offer any leftover capacity to other government agencies or interested parties.
The news arrives during World Space Week, which kicked off Oct. 4 with events across 100 nations. This year’s events carry the theme “Rocket Revolution.” World Space Week Association President Dennis Stone said cheaper launches and easier access to orbit have fueled new space applications.
Rocket Lab’s Neutron Is One of Several Falcon 9 Alternatives
The timeline collides with a coming slowdown in SpaceX’s Falcon 9, the world’s busiest rocket. SpaceX has started refusing satellite operators that want dedicated Falcon 9 launches after 2028. The company has not said publicly when the Falcon program will officially wind down.
Rocket Lab’s Neutron is among the newcomers meant to start flying over the next months and years. Relativity Space’s Terran R, Firefly Aerospace’s Eclipse and Stoke Space’s Nova are also on the way. Still, new rockets take time to build up their launch rates, so it is far from clear that any will fly frequently by 2029.
Rocket Lab’s role in the market starts with the hardware it builds. The company makes rockets and spacecraft and runs missions from start to finish for civil, defense and commercial customers. It designs and builds the Electron and Neutron launch vehicles and the Photon satellite platform.
Its business spans Launch Services and Space Systems. That mix ties the company to how often rockets launch and to the slower-moving demand for spacecraft manufacturing. Rocket Lab serves Japan and other international markets, but the United States generates key revenue. That keeps the company closely linked to the ups and downs of U.S. government and commercial space spending.
RKLB Shares Are Rising
RKLB Price Action: Rocket Lab shares were up 3.59% at $75.64 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro.
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