Rocket Lab raised Neutron’s base launch price to $70 million, while an October manufacturing flaw in a propellant-tank dome leaves a more specific timeline for the rocket’s first flight dependent on replacement work and tests.
Rocket Lab said Nov. 9, 2026, that the base price for a Neutron launch had risen from $55 million. The company cited customer demand and limited launch availability for the increase.
In the third quarter of 2026, Rocket Lab signed eight missions with five customers in contracts worth more than $515 million. Several missions were sold at the new base price; the announcement did not break out prices by mission. The bookings brought Neutron’s manifest to 16 flights, and the company said its next available launch opportunities are in the 2030s.
Rocket Lab still targets Neutron’s first flight for no earlier than 2027. Its quarterly filing said a manufacturing problem in October 2026 left voids in parts of a composite propellant-tank dome.
The company expects to build and inspect a replacement dome, assemble the first-stage tank and complete hydrostatic and cryogenic tests before providing a more specific launch timeline. The filing did not give a date for that update.
Rocket Lab reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of $268 million and a net loss of $79.7 million. It forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $270 million to $290 million.