Rocket Lab (Rocket Lab (RKLB)) shares are flying high in Thursday's after-hours session after NASA selected the company to provide launch services for two upcoming missions. The stock was up 5.59% at $85.20 at the time of publication.
NASA has tapped Rocket Lab to launch the PolSIR (Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer) and Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-2 (TSIS-2) missions. The PolSIR mission, which will study ice clouds that form at high altitudes in tropical and subtropical regions, is set to launch aboard two dedicated Electron rockets no earlier than June 2027. The goal is to help researchers make more accurate weather predictions by understanding these clouds better.
The TSIS-2 mission, which measures the Sun's energy input to Earth, is expected to launch aboard an Electron rocket in early 2027. Both missions highlight Rocket Lab's growing role in NASA's science portfolio.
"Electron has become synonymous with reliability, precise orbital accuracy, and on-demand launch capability and we've been delivering this for NASA missions for almost a decade. We're proud to deliver this once again for PolSIR and TSIS-2," said Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab.
Rocket Lab has several other NASA missions in the pipeline, including Aspera, an astrophysics mission to study galaxy formation and evolution. Later this year, the company is also scheduled to launch its own Photon spacecraft aboard Electron for NASA's LOXSAT mission, a demonstration of in-space refueling technology that could support future Moon missions and human exploration of Mars.
