Rocket Lab won a $266 million multi-launch contract from the U.S. Space Force for military suborbital missions.
The award covers 12 suborbital launches with options for up to six additional flights and calls for the first mission to occur by the end of 2026.
Under the deal Rocket Lab will establish launch operations at the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska, with most missions planned from Kodiak.
The contract arrives as the Space Force is expanding its launch procurement, including a recent tripling of one launch vehicle contract to $17 billion and broader Pentagon requests for launch capacity up to $30 billion.
Rocket Lab described the work as its largest launch contract to date and the award will use its suborbital HASTE/Electron‑derived capabilities and related services.
The deal builds on a year in which Rocket Lab has increased its national‑security work, adding satellite and launch taskings for defense customers.
The company said the program will begin with the first flight scheduled by the end of 2026.
