RKLB Stock Pops 9% After-Hours On $266M Air Force Win — Retail Sees A Space Sector ‘Catalyst’

The latest award adds to Rocket Lab’s recent space and defense contracts as traders track the company’s momentum.

• The U.S. Air Force contract covers 12 suborbital launches, with options for six additional missions through 2028.
• Stocktwits retail sentiment on RKLB remained bullish, while message volume climbed to high levels following the announcement.
• One retail trader called the award a “big catalyst for the space sector,” saying it could bring renewed attention not only to RKLB, but also to other space stocks.

Shares of Rocket Lab USA Inc. (RKLB) jumped 9% in after-hours trading on Tuesday after the company secured a $266 million U.S. Air Force contract for suborbital launch services.

RKLB stock had already ended the regular session more than 5% higher before extending gains following the announcement.

RKLB Wins $266M Air Force Contract

Rocket Lab has been awarded a $266 million firm-fixed-price completion contract for suborbital launch services. The contract covers the launch of 12 suborbital launch vehicles, with options for six additional launches.

Work will be performed at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska and is expected to be completed by December 31, 2028.

The award was made through a competitive acquisition, with three offers received. The U.S. Air Force is obligating $112 million in fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation funds at the time of the award.

The Space Systems Command is the contracting activity for the program.

The contract win comes just days after the U.S. Space Force announced that Rocket Lab and SpaceX were among seven companies awarded positions on the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 program, which has a $17 billion ceiling for future launch services.

RKLB Stock: Stocktwits Retail Sentiment

Retail sentiment on Stocktwits for RKLB remained ‘bullish,’ unchanged in the past 24 hours, while message volume was ‘high.’

Rocket Lab became a focus of discussion on Stocktwits after Tuesday’s contract win, with retail traders highlighting the significance of the award.

One retail trader described the award as a “big catalyst for the space sector,” adding that “this kind of contract could bring renewed attention not only to $RKLB, but potentially the broader space group.” The trader said they were adding to AST SpaceMobile, expecting the positive momentum to spread across the industry.

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Another trader highlighted Rocket Lab’s growing portfolio of U.S. government and defense contracts, calling the company a “monster,” and saying the latest Air Force award adds to an already strong pipeline ahead of the company’s upcoming earnings report.

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Some retail traders turned their attention to Wednesday’s session, expecting continued momentum in the stock following the contract announcement.

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RKLB shares have fallen 0.55% year-to-date, but gained over 38% in the past 12 months.

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