Rocket Lab won a $266 million Space Force contract to establish a launch site in Alaska and conduct up to 18 suborbital missions for weapons testing. The Rocket Systems Launch Program awarded the contract, which covers 12 guaranteed launches with options for six more, with the first mission scheduled no earlier than the end of 2026. The facility will operate at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, giving Rocket Lab a fourth launch site globally. The award reflects the Pentagon's push to expand test infrastructure for hypersonic and missile defense programs.
The contract represents Rocket Lab's largest launch award to date and marks a significant expansion of the company's national security work beyond its commercial small satellite operations. Rocket Lab has built up its HASTE suborbital vehicle -- derived from its Electron rocket -- specifically for hypersonic testing and missile defense missions, completing multiple Pentagon jobs already. The Space Force did not specify which vehicle Rocket Lab will use for the Alaska missions or identify the payloads involved.
The deal aligns with Pentagon strategy to increase the frequency of hypersonic flight testing and missile defense development. Defense officials have cited limited test infrastructure as a constraint on progress in these areas. Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck attributed the contract win to military demand for more frequent launch opportunities to support missile defense programs.
The Alaska site adds to Rocket Lab's existing launch infrastructure in New Zealand and Virginia. The Rocket Systems Launch Program provides responsive launch services across the Defense Department for research, development, and operational testing missions.