Rocket Lab wins another defense-related contract

Rocket Lab has won an $816 million contract – the largest to date – with the US Space Development Agency as the company continues to diversify beyond the “rocket company”.

The company said on Friday that its subsidiary, Rocket Lab USA, has been awarded a major contract by the Space Development Agency (SDA) to design and manufacture 18 satellites. The satellites will be equipped with advanced warning, tracking, and defense systems for the agency’s Tracking Layer Tranche 3 program.

The contract is separate from an existing $515 million award for satellites for the SDA’s Transport Layer-Beta Tranche 2 program. The program aims to provide a satellite communications network in low Earth orbit that transmits encrypted, low-level data to the military.

Collectively, Rocket Lab has SDA contracts worth more than $1.3 billion.

Rocket Lab has be extended to security and has recently said it will seek billions of dollars in funding efforts like the Golden Dome.