Sir Peter Beck

Built World

Leading Rocket Lab's push into Pentagon test-launch work

The Pentagon can't fly hypersonic weapons tests fast enough. On July 27, it handed Rocket Lab $266 million to help fix that.

Updated Jul 27

Money Moves

Leading the acquisition

Iridium nearly vanished. In 2000, investors bought its satellite network out of bankruptcy for about $25 million. On June 29, 2026, Rocket Lab agreed to buy the same company for roughly $8 billion.

Updated Jun 29

Money Moves

Leading the only space firm among the new additions

Before the opening bell on Monday, the Nasdaq-100 dropped five companies and added five. The new members are all tied to the AI buildout: cloud provider CoreWeave, neocloud operator Nebius, chip-connector maker Astera Labs, rocket-launch firm Rocket Lab, and chip-test company Teradyne.

Updated Jun 22

Built World

Sole launch provider for StriX satellites

On June 17, 2026, a Rocket Lab Electron rocket lifted off from New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula carrying StriX-8, the latest radar satellite for Japan's Synspective. Each launch adds one more eye that can see the ground through clouds, smoke, and the dark.

Updated Jun 18

New Capabilities

Leading Rocket Lab through a record-cadence year for Electron and expansion into larger launch markets

Rocket Lab ended 2025 with another success. On Dec. 21, Electron lifted off from Māhia and placed iQPS's QPS-SAR-15 into orbit, extending a run of repeat business that positions Rocket Lab as a default launcher for constellation operators.

Updated May 15

New Capabilities

Leading Rocket Lab as it expands national security launch cadence

Rocket Lab just put four "DiskSats" into orbit for the U.S. Space Force—flat, plate-like spacecraft about the size of a manhole cover. The launch showed that the U.S. can move a new satellite design from paperwork to space faster than most people plan a product launch.

Updated May 15