Space Force Picks Rocket Lab for Suborbital Launches from Alaska

The U.S. Space Force has awarded Rocket Lab a $266 million contract for 12 suborbital missions to be completed over the next three years. Most of these launches will take place at a new facility in Kodiak, Alaska, representing a significant expansion of the company’s launch network and providing the military with critical access to high-inclination, polar, and sun-synchronous orbits.

This agreement is the largest launch deal in the company’s history and includes options for six additional missions. Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck stated the contract underscores the military's confidence in their ability to provide responsive launch capacity. While the company operates launch pads in Virginia and New Zealand, the Alaska site offers unique trajectories for testing that are not available at other locations.

Space Force officials are working to reduce congestion at major military launch ranges in Florida and California. By utilizing commercial spaceports in regions like Alaska, the military can offload smaller satellite missions and testing requirements. This approach helps ensure that primary military ranges remain available for heavier, high-priority national security launches.

These missions are expected to support missile defense research, likely using the HASTE platform. This vehicle is a variant of the Electron rocket designed for hypersonic testing. The award falls under the Space Force’s Rocket System Launch Program, which supports various Department of Defense agencies, including the Missile Defense Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office.

Rocket Lab continues to scale its operations with its existing Electron and HASTE launchers while preparing for the debut of its larger Neutron rocket later this year. The new Alaska operations will mirror the technical framework used at the company’s other launch sites to ensure consistent performance and safety standards.