- Rocket Lab (RKLB, Financial) signs a definitive agreement to acquire Geost, expanding into satellite payload market.
- The acquisition is valued at $275 million, with a mix of cash and privately placed shares.
- Rocket Lab aims to strengthen its position in national security space solutions.
Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB), a leading player in launch services and space systems, has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Geost, LLC, a Tucson-based electro-optical and infrared payload development company, for $275 million. This strategic acquisition includes $125 million in cash and $150 million in privately placed Rocket Lab shares, with an additional potential $50 million in earnout payments based on revenue targets.
The acquisition will mark Rocket Lab's formal entry into the satellite payload market, aiming to provide comprehensive national security space solutions. Geost brings two decades of experience in delivering advanced sensor systems crucial for missile warning, tracking, tactical intelligence, Earth observation, and space domain awareness.
Rocket Lab aims to enhance its capability to deliver end-to-end space solutions while reducing integration risks and accelerating production timelines. The acquisition will bring Geost’s manufacturing facilities in Tucson and Northern Virginia, along with its 115 professionals, into Rocket Lab’s expanding workforce, bringing the total headcount to over 2,600 employees globally.
Rocket Lab's CEO, Sir Peter Beck, highlighted the move as part of the company's ongoing disruption of the traditional space industry by offering advanced, secure, and cost-effective space systems. This expansion into high-performance optical technologies positions Rocket Lab as a leading end-to-end provider in the space systems sector, particularly for U.S. national security interests.
