Arthur McMiler
Rocket Lab has announced the addition of its new Neutron rocket to NASA’s Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare, or VADR, contract. Its small orbital launch vehicle Electron is already under VADR contract and demonstrated capabilities in the NASA PREFIRE and TROPICS missions, the company said Thursday.
Rocket Lab described Neutron as a medium-lift reusable rocket offering the opportunity to continue its efforts on broadening space launch services for various missions across a range of orbits, including CubeSats and other payloads.
Low Earth Orbit Launch Capability
Neutron is designed to deploy 13,000-kilogram payloads to low Earth Orbit for both commercial and government customers. Its design is suited for constellation deployments and missions for national security, science and exploration, according to Rocket Lab. Neutron’s debut launch is scheduled in mid-2025 at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 3 in Virginia.
Rocket Lab noted that Neutron is eligible to compete in the U.S. Space Force’s OSP-4 program with an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract valued at $986 million. The rocket is also well-positioned for eligibility to bid in the U.S. Government’s National Security Space Launch Lane 1 program with a $5.6 billion five-year IDIQ contract, the company added.
Wider Space Industry Choice
Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO, conveyed the company’s pride in expanding the company’s NASA partnership through Neutron’s inclusion in VADR. “Neutron brings choice and value to the launch industry and is the ideal rocket to support NASA’s goals with VADR to provide new opportunities for science and technology payloads through commercial best practice,” he said.
Rocket Lab and 12 other companies earned slots under NASA’s $300 million VADR contract vehicle in January 2022. In April, the company secured a task order worth about $14.5 million from the U.S. Space Force to launch its Electron vehicle to support the Space Test Program-S30.
