Rocket Lab Wins $515 Million in Neutron Deals as SpaceX Stops Falcon 9 Bookings Beyond 2028
Updated
Updated · tikr.com · Nov 11
Rocket Lab Wins $515 Million in Neutron Deals as SpaceX Stops Falcon 9 Bookings Beyond 2028
3 articles · Updated · tikr.com · Nov 11
Summary
Eight Neutron missions worth about $515 million were signed in the third quarter, giving Rocket Lab its first 16 launches booked and pushing the next open slots into the 2030s.
SpaceX’s reported halt to new Falcon 9 rideshare bookings beyond late 2028 is helping tighten launch supply as it shifts engineering resources toward Starship, creating an opening Rocket Lab says customers must fill elsewhere.
Several of those Neutron contracts came at a $70 million base price, and Rocket Lab’s CFO said pricing may rise further as demand builds and more flights help absorb fixed launch costs.
Neutron still has not flown: Rocket Lab delayed its debut to 2027 after finding tank voids, while free cash flow was negative for a fifth straight year at a $322 million outflow in 2025.
The window may be temporary because SpaceX is targeting weekly Starship flights in the first half of 2027; if that ramp succeeds, a fully reusable vehicle could undercut Neutron on price.