Rocket Lab Corp (NASDAQ:RKLB) shares rose 5.2% to $73.27 in premarket trading after the company announced a 20-mission Electron launch agreement with Tokyo-based Earth observation company Synspective.
The agreement, which Rocket Lab described as its largest single commercial launch contract to date, covers 20 StriX synthetic aperture radar satellites.
The satellites are scheduled to launch into sun-synchronous orbit from Rocket Lab’s New Zealand facility between 2028 and 2031.
The latest agreement increases Synspective’s total contracted Electron missions to 47, making it Rocket Lab’s largest launch customer by number of missions. It also takes Rocket Lab’s overall launch backlog above 100 missions for the first time.
Rocket Lab Adds Neutron Launch Contract
Rocket Lab separately announced a dedicated launch contract with Canadian telecommunications company Kepler Communications for its upcoming Neutron medium-lift rocket.
The agreement adds another commercial mission to the Neutron launch schedule ahead of the rocket’s anticipated fourth-quarter debut. The timing remains subject to the development and launch schedule.
The supplied information also noted recent purchases of Rocket Lab shares by ARK Invest and existing positions held by institutional investors including BlackRock. These holdings do not indicate or guarantee future share-price performance.
Nasdaq Gains as Treasury Yields Decline
The broader market backdrop was also positive for technology and growth shares, with the Nasdaq gaining 0.7% as Treasury yields declined following softer-than-expected inflation data.
Other commercial space companies, including AST SpaceMobile, also traded higher during the session.
The source additionally cited shareholder approval related to Iridium as a factor affecting sentiment around Rocket Lab, although no further details about the transaction or its relationship to Rocket Lab were provided.
Rocket Lab shares remained below their 52-week high of $151. Future share-price performance will depend on market conditions and company developments and cannot be determined from the announced contracts alone.
Rocket Lab stock price
