RKLB Stock Jumps Overnight: RocketLab Says Neutron Has A 'Nice Spot' As SpaceX Looks Beyond Launch Business

CFO Adam Spice said that SpaceX's biggest opportunities now lie in Starlink, Starship and potentially space-based data centers.

• Rocket Lab still expects Neutron's first launch by the end of the year despite a test failure in February. 
• The company is already scaling Neutron production, targeting up to four rockets annually.
• Rocket Lab plans to make Neutron reusable, with boosters eventually flying up to 20 times and a six-booster fleet supporting nearly 100 launches per year.

Shares of Rocket Lab (RKLB) climbed nearly 2% in overnight trading heading into Thursday after the company said that SpaceX's growing focus on Starlink, Starship and even space-based data centers could leave a "very nice spot" in the launch market for Rocket Lab's upcoming Neutron rocket.

RKLB stock slid 3% on Wednesday to close the session at $105.05, with shares tracking a second straight week of losses. 

RKLB Sees Opening As SpaceX Shifts Focus

At the Wells Fargo Industrials & Materials Conference on Wednesday, Rocket Lab CFO Adam Spice said that SpaceX's future opportunities lie in Starlink, Starship and potentially space-based data centers rather than commercial launch services. 

As a result, he believes the merchant launch market could become less important to SpaceX over time, creating an opening for Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket. "It seems like Neutron's going to have a very nice spot in this market going forward once we can actually get it to a point where it can scale rapidly," Spice said. 

Rocket Lab is currently pushing towards the first launch of Neutron, its reusable medium-lift rocket. Spice acknowledged a February testing setback after a booster tank ruptured but said that the issue was traced to a third-party manufacturing defect.  "Everything right now is still pointing towards an opportunity to launch before the end of the year," Spice said. Rocket Lab is already scaling production for up to four Neutron rockets annually and is producing an Archimedes engine every eight days.

Spice also laid out Rocket Lab's path toward reusable Neutron boosters: "The third tail is the one where we plan on launching it, bringing it back, and putting that back into service," he said. The company ultimately hopes each booster can fly up to 20 times, with a fleet of six boosters potentially supporting nearly 100 launches per year.

RKLB Chases SpaceX's Playbook

Spice said Rocket Lab's ambitions extend beyond launch services: "Because ultimately my goal with Rocket Lab is not to just be a launch company, but I actually want to have my own assets on orbit that I generate recurring revenue from." Drawing parallels with SpaceX, he said: "We share the same goal." 

Rocket Lab has been expanding toward this vision through acquisitions, including Motiv Space Systems, Mynaric, Geost and SolAero, while also growing its government business. Last month, the company said its solution for the Space Development Agency's Tracking Layer Tranche 3 constellation became the technical baseline for the program, supporting more than $1.3 billion in SDA-related awards. Days earlier, Rocket Lab secured a separate $90 million U.S. Space Force satellite contract.

Rocket Lab recently completed its ninth dedicated mission for Synspective and said on X that its factory is "busier than ever," with its 100th Electron rocket already moving through production.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About RKLB?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for RKLB has plunged to ‘bearish’ from ‘bullish’ a week ago, amid a 48% decline in message volume over the same period.

One user said, “Some folks sold RKLB and $ASTS to chase that shiny new thing called SpaceX. Let's see how it works out in the short term.”

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Another user said, “$RKLB $70 coming unfortunately... Market may come down substantially...due to SpaceX IPO and the other IPOs.” 

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RKLB stock has surged 287% over the past year. 

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