The US Space Force has chosen Rocket Lab to compete for the Department of Defense’s (DoD) national security missions under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 programme.
The contract, which is a firm-fixed price, indefinite delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) agreement, spans a five-year ordering period until June 2029 and is valued at a maximum of $5.6bn.
Rocket Lab’s launch vehicle for the programme will be Neutron, a 13-tonne reusable carbon composite medium-lift launch vehicle currently under rapid development.
Neutron is designed to meet the requirements for high assurance national security missions and can deploy payloads of up to 13,000kg.
With its first launch anticipated for the latter half of the year, Rocket Lab is said to have met the eligibility criteria to compete for the NSSL programme.
Following a successful flight on Neutron, the company will be eligible to vie for individual task orders within the programme.
The initial launch of Neutron from Launch Complex 3 in Wallops Island, Virginia, will mark the first time a launch vehicle supports the NSSL programme from this region.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said: “Supporting assured access to space for the nation’s most important missions has always been the goal with our Neutron rocket, and we’re incredibly proud to selected by the US Space Force to demonstrate this commitment for the NSSL.
“Neutron is a powerful new launch option that will set a new standard for performance, affordability, and reliability in medium launch, and its selection to the programme demonstrates a high degree of confidence by the Department of Defence in Neutron’s capabilities ahead of its first launch later this year. We can’t wait to showcase Neutron as the important platform it will become for the Department of Defence.”
Rocket Lab and another space launch provider Stoke Space selected to compete for the task order join Blue Origin, SpaceX and ULA who were earlier chosen for the DoD’s programme, which seeks to establish a diversified, competitive, and reliable domestic launch base.
The programme is expected to award a minimum of 30 missions by 2029, with a possible extension until 2034.
As part of its entry into the NSSL programme, Rocket Lab has received a $5m task order to perform a capabilities assessment.
The NSSL programme’s mission is to secure launch services for critical space support required by the DoD, national security, and other government space missions, promoting interagency and commercial cooperation.
This includes executing flight worthiness certification processes and booster-to-satellite mission integration to ensure assured access to space and achieve 100% mission success.
In January 2025, Rocket Lab National Security completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 2 Transport Layer-Beta programme.
The successful PDR allows Rocket Lab to move into the detailed design phase of the $515m contract secured in January 2024.
