Rocket Lab is a company developing rocket systems and space launch vehicles for delivering payloads into space that is headquartered in Huntington Beach, California and was founded in 2006 by Peter Beck. The company has offices and operations in Long Beach, California; Auckland, New Zealand; Mahia, New Zealand; Wallops Island, Virginia; and the Chatham Islands.
Rocket Lab's launch vehicle is called Electron and is capable of delivering nominal payloads of 150kg and can deliver payloads up to a maximum of 225kg. Electron has two rocket stages, a diameter of 1.2 meters, and a height of 17 meters.
Timeline
December 15, 2020
Rocket Lab successfully launches satellite for Japanese startup Synspective.
Rocket Lab has completed its 17th mission, putting a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite on orbit for client Synspective, a Tokyo-based space startup that has raised over $100 million in funding to date.
August 19, 2019
Rocket Lab successfully launches rideshare rocket with two experimental USAF satellites on board
The Electron launched from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 12:12 AM NZST (8:12 AM ET).
June 28, 2019
Rocket Lab launches seventh Electron rocket for ‘Make It Rain’ mission.
June 2019
Rocket Lab launches rideshare rocket .
November 2018
Rocket Lab raises a $140,000,000 series E round from Khosla Ventures, Promus Ventures, K1W1, Greenspring Associates, Bessemer Venture Partners and Future Fund.
March 2017
Rocket Lab raises a $75,000,000 series D round from Khosla Ventures, Promus Ventures, K1W1, Bessemer Venture Partners and Data Collective.
Funding rounds
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Funding round amount (USD)
Funding round date
Investment
140,000,000
November 2018
March 2015
People
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Role
LinkedIn
Peter Beck
Founder
Further reading
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Documentaries, videos and podcasts
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Eric Berger
March 5, 2021
Ars Technica
"The level of detail that we get is remarkable, how good the forecast is."
Neel Patel
March 2, 2021
MIT Technology Review
With the announcement of a brand-new rocket called Neutron, the private space company is challenging Blue Origin as the main competition to SpaceX.
Anthony Ha
March 1, 2021
TechCrunch
A challenger bank raises funding at a massive valuation, Instagram adds Live Rooms and Google updates Workspace. This is your Daily Crunch for March 1, 2021. The big story: Klarna valued at $31B The Swedish challenger bank and buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) service has raised $1 billion at a post-money valuation of $31 billion. Klarna says it [...]
Joey Roulette
March 1, 2021
The Verge
Rocket Lab announced plans to go public through SPAC Vector Acquisition Corp., and it unveiled a new rocket dubbed Neutron that will be capable of launching humans to space.
Darrell Etherington
March 1, 2021
TechCrunch
Rocket Lab packed a ton of news into Monday to kick off this week: It's going public via a SPAC merger, for one, and it's also building a new, larger launch vehicle called Neutron to support heavier payloads. I spoke to Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck about why it's building Neutron now, and [...]
Isabelle Lee
March 1, 2021
markets.businessinsider.com
The deal is expected to close in the second quarter. Vector will change its name to Rocket Lab and will trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker RKLB.
Darrell Etherington
March 1, 2021
TechCrunch
Monday brings with it not one, but two space SPACS - there's Rocket Lab, and there's Spire Global, a satellite operator that bills itself primarily as a SaaS company focused on delivering data and analytics made possible by its 100-plus spacecraft constellation. SPACs have essentially proven a pressure-release valve for the space startup market, which [...]
Darrell Etherington
March 1, 2021
TechCrunch
Because news of its SPAC-fueled public market debut wasn't enough, Rocket Lab also unveiled a new class of rocket it has in development on Monday. The launch vehicle, called Neutron, will be able to carry 8 metric tons (around 18,000 lbs) to orbit, far exceeding the cargo capacity of Rocket Lab's current Electron vehicle, which [...]
Darrell Etherington
March 1, 2021
TechCrunch
The SPAC run is on for space startups, which have been relatively slow in their overall exit pace before the current special purpose acquisitions company merger craze got underway. Rocket Lab is the latest, and likely the most notable to jump on the trend, with a deal that will see it combine with a SPAC [...]
Eric Berger
January 22, 2021
Ars Technica
"We're smarter as a team having been through this process."
Darrell Etherington
January 20, 2021
TechCrunch
Rocket Lab has launched its 18th mission, and the first of 2021, as of 8:26 PM NZT (2:30 AM EST). The 'Another One Leaves The Crust' mission took off from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand, and flew a single communications microsatellite on behalf of client OHB Group, a [...]
Trevor Mogg
January 18, 2021
Digital Trends
Virgin Orbit has released a dramatic video showing the start of Sunday's successful space mission that involved firing a rocket from a modified Boeing 747 jet.
Reuters
January 17, 2021
CTVNews
Billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit aims to reach space for the first time on Sunday by launching a rocket from mid-air, a key attempt after aborting the rocket's first test launch last year.
Eric Berger
January 15, 2021
Ars Technica
"AR1 is the ideal engine for many possible solutions."
Eric Berger
January 8, 2021
Ars Technica
"We are obliged to file a lawsuit in connection with the satellite's failure."
Eric Berger
January 6, 2021
Ars Technica
"If Rocket Lab ever builds a new vehicle, it will fundamentally be reusable."
Morgan McFall-Johnsen, Susie Neilson and Dave Mosher
January 1, 2021
Business Insider
In 2021, we'll see nine meteor showers. Boeing and SpaceX should launch humans into orbit, and NASA expects to land the first helicopter on Mars.
Eric Berger
December 23, 2020
Ars Technica
"It has surely been a year of challenges."
Devin Coldewey
December 18, 2020
TechCrunch
Just a few years ago it seemed like Rocket Lab was going to be an up-and-comer in the launch world, and so they are today -- in addition to going reusable, creating a low-cost satellite platform, and planning a mission to Venus. CEO and Founder Peter Beck, speaking at TC Sessions: Space, talked about how [...]
Darrell Etherington
December 15, 2020
TechCrunch
Rocket Lab has completed its 17th mission, putting a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite on orbit for client Synspective, a Tokyo-based space startup that has raised over $100 million in funding to date. Syspective aims to operate a 30-satellite constellation that can provide global imaging coverage of Earth, with SAR's benefits of being able to [...]
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References
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Company attributes
Location
Company status
Active
CEO
Founder
Crunchbase
Legal name
Rocket Lab USA, Inc
Legal classification
Investors
Founded date
2006
Email address
enquiries@rocketlabusa.com
Phone number
1 (714) 465 5737
Total funding amount (USD)
215,000,000
Latest funding round date
November 2018
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