Rocket Lab is advancing its medium-lift Neutron rocket, targeting its inaugural flight in the latter half of 2025. Preparations are underway at Launch Complex 3 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia, a facility recently inaugurated for Neutron's operations. This development expands Virginia's aerospace capabilities and reinforces the U.S. commitment to assured access to space.
The Neutron rocket is a partially reusable, two-stage vehicle designed to deliver payloads of up to 13,000 kg to low Earth orbit. Its design features a unique interstage configuration where the second stage is housed within the first stage. The first stage is engineered for return-to-Earth landing, with options for land or ship-based recovery, emphasizing Rocket Lab's focus on reusability and high-cadence operations. The Archimedes engines, which will power both stages, have undergone successful hot-fire tests, with production engines now being manufactured.
Rocket Lab's strategic importance has been bolstered by significant contract awards from the U.S. Space Force. In March 2025, the company was selected to compete for missions under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 program. This indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract, spanning a five-year ordering period through June 2029, has a potential maximum value of $5.6 billion. Neutron is designated as the launch vehicle for this program, aimed at enhancing national security space capabilities.
Further strengthening its position, Rocket Lab announced in May 2025 a partnership with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for a Rocket Cargo mission. This experimental flight, scheduled for no earlier than 2026, will utilize a return-to-Earth Neutron launch to demonstrate point-to-point cargo transportation as part of the AFRL's Rocket Experimentation for Global Agile Logistics (REGAL) program.
Development progress includes the completion of the second stage's structural and cryogenic testing, and the ongoing construction of the first stage. Rocket Lab's investment in advanced manufacturing, including automated fiber placement, is streamlining the production of Neutron's carbon composite structures. The opening of Launch Complex 3, built in under two years by over 60 contractors, signifies Rocket Lab's readiness for Neutron's maiden flight, which remains on schedule for later this year.