Rocket Lab Secures NASA Science Contracts as Shares Recover

Rocket Lab's shares fell sharply earlier in the week, dropping 25.3% amid a broad market sell‑off in space and growth stocks. The decline left the stock down about 44% from its year‑to‑date peak.

NASA subsequently selected Rocket Lab to launch two new science missions—PolSIR and TSIS‑2—using the company's Electron rocket. The contracts, part of a broader NASA agreement worth up to $300 million over ten years, will see the missions launch from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, with PolSIR slated for no earlier than June 2027 and TSIS‑2 targeted for early 2027. The missions aim to improve understanding of ice‑cloud interactions and solar irradiance, respectively, enhancing weather and climate forecasts.

The NASA awards generated a modest after‑hours rally, lifting the stock about 3% and sparking renewed investor optimism about Rocket Lab's role in low‑cost, rapid‑response space launches.