Rocket Lab Announces Expanded U.S. Investments for National Security Programs and Semiconductor Manufacturing
6 Mins Read
LONG BEACH, Calif., August 22, 2025–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced it is boosting its U.S. investments to expand semiconductor manufacturing capacity and provide supply chain security for space-grade solar cells and electro-optical sensors for national security space missions. The Trump Administration will support these investments with a $23.9 million award through the Department of Commerce, part of the CHIPS and Science Act that ensures U.S. leadership in space-grade semiconductor technology.
In a strategic response to the increasing demand for a robust domestic supply chain of space-grade solar cells and electro-optical sensors for spacecrafts and satellites, Rocket Lab’s capital investments over the next five years are expected to strengthen the Company’s market position as a leading satellite manufacturer, components supplier, and end-to-end mission provider for commercial and national security space missions. Rocket Lab is one of only two companies in the United States that specialize in the production of high efficiency, radiation hardened, space-grade compound semiconductors.
Rocket Lab’s investment builds upon the Company’s existing U.S. expansion plans for its space systems products alongside a $275 million acquisition of Geost, an electro-optical payload provider based in Tucson, Arizona and northern Virginia. Combined, these multi-hundred million-dollar investments will strengthen America’s semiconductor industrial base and invigorate industry innovation for U.S. commercial and national security satellite missions.
Through these investments, Rocket Lab expects to:
Double production capacity of compound semiconductors and space-grade solar cells, from 20,000 wafers to nearly 35,000 wafers per month;
Provide U.S. spacecraft manufacturers and the wider aerospace industry with access to domestically produced, advanced semiconductor and electro-optical technologies;
Expand its ability to rapidly deliver integrated spacecraft systems purpose-built for U.S. national security; and
Drive economic growth in California, Colorado, Maryland, New Mexico, Mississippi, Arizona and northern Virginia, as it expands its U.S. based headcount to more than 2,000 employees.
Rocket Lab Vice President of Space Systems, Brad Clevenger, says: “Our leadership in American-made semiconductor technologies is built upon more than 25 years of engineering and manufacturing excellence in New Mexico. These latest investments will expand that production capacity, strengthen supply chains, create new jobs, and develop economic opportunities across the states where we operate – and are additional examples of Rocket Lab’s commitment to delivering reliable and cost-effective solutions at scale to the space industry.”
“This administration is taking historic actions to encourage companies like Rocket Lab to invest in American ingenuity and innovation,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. “Rocket Lab’s investment will help cement our dominance in space while expanding opportunities for workers across the country.”
Rocket Lab’s solar cells have powered industry-defining space missions including the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s Artemis lunar explorations, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, and the Mars Insight Lander, and more – underscoring the Company’s pivotal role in space industry innovation and U.S. supply chain security.
About Rocket Lab
Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle, a family of flight proven spacecraft, and the Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for constellation deployment. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered 190+ satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab’s family of spacecraft have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia. To learn more, visit www.rocketlabcorp.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding our launch and space systems operations, launch schedule and window, safe and repeatable access to space, Neutron development, operational expansion and business strategy, are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the factors, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of our website at https://investors.rocketlabcorp.com which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
