So, here's the thing about rocket companies: when you tell investors you're pushing back the debut of your shiny new rocket by a couple of years, the stock tends to go down. That's the simple story for Rocket Lab Corp (RKLB) on Friday, as shares fell in premarket trading after the company announced its first Neutron rocket launch is now targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026.
The culprit? A Stage 1 tank failure, which the company attributed to a defect from a third-party supplier during the hand layup process. It's the kind of technical hiccup that can set back even the most meticulously planned space timelines, and the market reacted with a swift, if predictable, thumbs down.
But if you just look at the stock move, you're missing a lot. The delay news came wrapped inside Rocket Lab's fourth-quarter earnings report, which was actually pretty good. The company posted revenue of $179.65 million, beating the consensus estimate of $178.47 million. It reported a loss of nine cents per share, which was a penny better than the expected loss of ten cents.
Looking ahead, Rocket Lab expects first-quarter revenue to land between $185 million and $200 million, comfortably above analyst estimates of $184.98 million. The company did guide to an adjusted EBITDA loss of $21 million to $27 million for the quarter, but the top-line growth seems to be on track.
While everyone was focused on Neutron's new timeline, Rocket Lab was busy announcing a bunch of other stuff. In a separate release, the company disclosed a new multi-launch agreement with BlackSky Technology Inc. (BKSY). This deal adds four dedicated Electron missions, strengthening Rocket Lab's role as the primary launch partner for BlackSky's AI-powered Gen-3 Earth observation satellite constellation. All told, this brings the total number of Electron launches conducted for BlackSky since 2019 to 17.
Oh, and they also announced the launch of advanced silicon solar arrays. These aren't for your roof; they're engineered to power future gigawatt-scale, space-based data centers that could stretch for kilometers in orbit. It's a forward-looking product for a market that's still mostly theoretical, but it shows where the company's R&D focus lies.
On the acquisitions front, Rocket Lab has been busy. The company launched a new precision machining complex in Auckland called Precision Components Limited (PCL) to boost its large-scale manufacturing capacity. It also closed the acquisition of Optical Support, Inc. (OSI), a maker of high-precision optical systems used in satellites, space domain awareness, and missile defense—a clear move to bolster its national security payload business.
And if that wasn't enough, Rocket Lab's subsidiary successfully commissioned two satellites for the University of California Berkeley's ESCAPADE mission to Mars, which studies plasma acceleration and dynamics.
So, what do you make of all this? On one hand, you have a significant delay for the company's next-generation launch vehicle, which is a clear negative for the long-term growth story. On the other hand, the core Electron launch business seems healthy, with a new contract from a key customer. The space systems division is launching new products and integrating acquisitions. Financially, they beat expectations and guided well for the next quarter.
It's a classic case of near-term execution versus long-term ambition. The market, at least in the premarket, chose to focus on the delay. Rocket Lab shares were down 5.02% at $69.00. But for investors, the real question might be whether today's setback for Neutron outweighs everything else Rocket Lab is building right now.
