
Rocket Lab Corporation
Publicly traded launch services and space systems company operating the Electron small rocket, developing the medium-lift Neutron, and manufacturing spacecraft and components.
Company Type
public
Founded
2006
Headquarters
Long Beach, California, USA
Stock
Nasdaq: RKLB
Revenue
$601.8 million (FY2025, up 38 percent)
Employees
approximately 2,500
Primary Market
Global
About Rocket Lab Corporation
Who owns Rocket Lab?
Rocket Lab Corporation is a public company listed on Nasdaq under ticker RKLB, owned by public and institutional shareholders. Founder and CEO Peter Beck is the largest individual shareholder.
Is Rocket Lab publicly traded?
Yes. Rocket Lab trades on Nasdaq under ticker RKLB, having gone public in August 2021 through a merger with Vector Acquisition Corporation.
What rockets does Rocket Lab fly?
Rocket Lab flies Electron, a small orbital launch vehicle that completed 21 successful missions in 2025, and HASTE, a suborbital hypersonic test variant. Neutron, a medium-lift reusable rocket, is targeted for a first launch in Q4 2026.
Where are Rocket Lab's launch sites?
Electron launches from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand and Launch Complex 2 at Wallops Island, Virginia. Neutron will launch from a dedicated site at Wallops.
How much revenue does Rocket Lab make?
Fiscal 2025 revenue was a record $601.8 million, up 38 percent year over year, with Space Systems contributing roughly 67 percent and Launch Services 33 percent.
History of Rocket Lab Corporation
Peter Beck founded Rocket Lab in Auckland, New Zealand in 2006, launching the suborbital Atea-1 sounding rocket in 2009. The Electron program, a carbon-composite small rocket powered by the electric-pump-fed Rutherford engine, flew first in 2017 and reached orbit in January 2018.
US operations expanded from 2013, and the company incorporated in the United States as Rocket Lab USA in 2017, relocating headquarters to Long Beach, California. Commercial Electron launches ramped from 2019, building a niche as the dominant dedicated small-satellite launcher while adding booster recovery experiments.
The company pivoted from launcher to space systems through acquisitions and internal development: Photon satellite buses, Sinclair Interplanetary reaction wheels, Advanced Solutions flight software, Planetary Systems Corporation separation systems, and SolAero solar cells. Space Systems grew to outsize the launch business, supplying major constellation programs.
In 2021, Rocket Lab announced Neutron, the reusable medium-lift rocket intended to compete for constellation deployment and national security launches, and listed on Nasdaq that August. Development continued through 2025 and 2026: first-stage tank qualification suffered a January 2026 rupture, pushing the maiden launch to a targeted Q4 2026. Fiscal 2025 set records across the board, with 21 launches, $601.8 million in revenue, and a $1.85 billion contract backlog including an $816 million SDA satellite award.
Controversy, Regulation & Public Scrutiny
Rocket Lab operates without major controversies. Its 2020 acquisition of SolAero and other component firms passed standard regulatory review. The January 2026 Neutron tank qualification failure attracted scrutiny for schedule risk rather than impropriety, and the company disclosed it transparently with a revised timeline.
Brands Owned by Rocket Lab Corporation
Rocket Lab Corporation owns 1 brand in our database. Explore the ownership tree below — click categories to expand and see individual brands.
Rocket Lab Corporation
public · Founded 2006 · Long Beach, California, USA
1
brands
Stock Information
Rocket Lab Corporation Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Record FY2025 revenue of $601.8 million, up 38 percent
- +$1.85 billion backlog gives multi-year revenue visibility
- +21 launches in 2025 with 100 percent mission success
- +Integrated launch-plus-space-systems model stabilizes revenue
- +Founder-led with long product development track record
Considerations
- -Persistent net losses as Neutron development absorbs capital
- -Neutron first launch slipped repeatedly, now targeted Q4 2026
- -SpaceX dominance caps pricing power in launch
- -Government contract concentration exposes it to program shifts
- -Dilution history from public raises and stock compensation
Frequently Asked Questions About Rocket Lab Corporation
Who owns Rocket Lab?
Rocket Lab Corporation is a public company listed on Nasdaq under ticker RKLB, owned by public and institutional shareholders. Founder and CEO Peter Beck is the largest individual shareholder.
Is Rocket Lab publicly traded?
Yes. Rocket Lab trades on Nasdaq under ticker RKLB, having gone public in August 2021 through a merger with Vector Acquisition Corporation.
What rockets does Rocket Lab fly?
Rocket Lab flies Electron, a small orbital launch vehicle that completed 21 successful missions in 2025, and HASTE, a suborbital hypersonic test variant. Neutron, a medium-lift reusable rocket, is targeted for a first launch in Q4 2026.
Where are Rocket Lab's launch sites?
Electron launches from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand and Launch Complex 2 at Wallops Island, Virginia. Neutron will launch from a dedicated site at Wallops.
How much revenue does Rocket Lab make?
Fiscal 2025 revenue was a record $601.8 million, up 38 percent year over year, with Space Systems contributing roughly 67 percent and Launch Services 33 percent.





