Rocket Lab (RKLB, Financials) jumped 8% on Monday; it's the latest boost in what's been a stellar two-month stretch for the space infrastructure company. After nearly doubling in that time, shares are now up 63% year to date—driven by back-to-back launch successes and a headline partnership with the European Space Agency.
Last month alone, Rocket Lab launched its 66th, 67th, and 68th missions; two of those happened within just 48 hours from the same site—an impressive feat that signals both operational maturity and growing demand. The company's Electron rocket, built for rapid and cost-efficient payload delivery, continues to fly constellations into orbit; it's no longer about one satellite at a time.
CEO Peter Beck, a New Zealand native who founded Rocket Lab in 2006, told CNBC the company now produces one rocket every 15 days; he's not losing sleep over demand. Since going public via SPAC merger in 2021, the Long Beach-based firm has grown into a $19 billion player in the increasingly crowded launch market.
Competition is heating up; Rocket Lab is carving out its niche alongside heavyweights like Elon Musk's SpaceX and up-and-comer Firefly Aerospace, which just filed to go public. But for now, Rocket Lab is riding high—fueled by real-world launches, strong partnerships, and an industry that's expanding fast.
