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19h ago

DOD Credit Office Commits $150 Million Conditional Loan to Rocket Lab

The funding aims to speed Neutron production, expand maritime recovery and raise launch cadence to ease a U.S. launch supply crunch.

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Pictured is a Rocket Lab photo of what the company said was the 96th launch of its Electron rocket on Sept. 19 from New Zealand.

Overview

  • The Office of Strategic Capital, which announced the conditional $150 million commitment on Monday, said the loan will help Rocket Lab increase Neutron flight rate and speed vehicle delivery, recovery and processing.
  • The commitment is conditional and requires Rocket Lab to satisfy financial, legal and technical due diligence before any funds are disbursed.
  • Rocket Lab has raised Neutron pricing from $55 million to $70 million and says it holds roughly 117 launches on contract, reflecting heavy commercial demand that the loan is intended to help meet.
  • The DOD has made related OSC commitments to other firms, including a loan for Stoke Space to build a second Cape Canaveral pad and support for radar maker LeoLabs, with three recent space-related OSC actions totaling about $450 million.
  • Defense officials and industry analysts say the interventions are meant to shore up U.S. launch capacity and industrial resilience as military and commercial demand grows and potential gaps in access to space loom.