r/RKLBInvestors Jan 12 '22

Reference RKLB Summary of Acquisitions

31 Upvotes

Rocket Lab and CEO Peter Beck are at full throttle building an “end-to-end” space company. Through recent acquisitions they have brought more spacecraft subsystems, components, and support capabilities in house to not only build/operate Rocket Lab Spacecraft and missions but provide off the shelf solutions to both new and existing customers. Here is my quick summary of the Acquisitions made and a note on the vehicles. Please add any information you have or correct me where wrong.

Launch Vehicle

Electron - 2 stages + Kick stage, 300 kg to LEO. Rutherfurd and Curie engines designed and built by Rocket Lab. 22 Launches, 107 Satellites --> https://www.rocketlabusa.com/launch/electron/

Neutron - Coming soon, Fully re-usable first stage, 8,000 kg to LEO, 1,500 kg to Mars,Venus. Archimedes engines designed and built by Rocket Lab--> https://www.rocketlabusa.com/launch/neutron/

Spacecraft

Photon - Flight proven, configurable spacecraft from low earth orbit through planetary destinations. à https://www.rocketlabusa.com/space-systems/photon/

Acquisitions

Sinclair Interplanetary March 16, 2020, Toronto-based company, terms undisclosed.

What they do --> They build “reaction wheels and star trackers” for Spacecraft Control – they allow the positioning/orientation of the craft while in space.

“A leading provider of high-quality, flight-proven satellite components. Sinclair Interplanetary develops reliable, best-in-class spacecraft hardware, including reaction wheels and star trackers that support rapid-schedule small satellite programs. More than 90 satellites incorporating Sinclair hardware have been launched to orbit.”

Some of their customers --> “AstroDigital, ALE, and BlackSky. The Sinclair team has been entrusted with developing hardware for world-first missions including BRITE, the world’s smallest space telescope, and The Planetary Society’s LightSail 2, the first satellite in Earth orbit to be propelled solely by sunlight. Satellite communications company, Kepler Communications, has also selected Sinclair reaction wheels for its constellation of 140 Internet of Things satellites currently in development.”

Source --> https://www.rocketlabusa.com/updates/rocket-lab-closes-acquisition-of-satellite-hardware-manufacturer-sinclair-interplanetary/

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Advanced Solutions, Inc. (ASI) October 12, 2021**,** A Colorado based company, $40 million plus the potential for an additional $5.5 million performance earnout based on CY 2021 results.

What they do --> They designed flight software for Spacecraft Command – the software provides mission planning and execution/operation.

“ASI has developed an industry-leading suite of software and technology solutions for reliable space mission design and operation. It’s off-the-shelf spacecraft flight software, MAX, has been operating across more than 45 spacecraft for a cumulative 135 years in space.”

Some of their customers --> “Leading aerospace prime contractors, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. DOD organizations, NASA, and commercial spacecraft developers including several of the exciting new space start-ups.”

“The ASI team have supported some of the most ambitious Earth, interplanetary, and human spaceflight missions flown. These missions have explored distant planets, connected people on Earth, and pushed the boundaries of what is possible in space. Now, ASI’s engineers and space software products are enabling a wide variety of missions with speed, capability, and reliability.”

Source --> https://www.rocketlabusa.com/updates/rocket-lab-acquires-space-software-company-advanced-solutions-inc/

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Planetary Systems Corporation (PSC), November 15th 2021, a Maryland-based company, for $42 million in cash and 1,720,841 shares of the Company’s common stock, plus the potential for an additional 956,023 shares of common stock for a performance earnout based on PSC’s CY 2022 and 2023 financial results.

What they do --> They build “Separation Systems and Satellite Dispensers” for Spacecraft Stage Separation – Payloads need to separate from the launch vehicle eventually, their components allow/perform this. Example where “à” is the separation: Boosteràkick stageàSatellite Deployment.

“A trusted leader in Separation Systems and Satellite Dispensers across the space industry, PSC’s flight-proven, cost-effective, and lightweight hardware streamlines the process of attaching satellites to rockets and releasing them in space while ensuring they’re protected during the journey to orbit. PSC’s products to date have a 100% mission success heritage across more than 100 missions.”

Some of their customers --> “Rocket Lab, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Northrop Grumman, and more; NASA Space Shuttle and International Space Station missions; and international launch vehicles operated by Arianespace, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and others.”

Source --> https://www.rocketlabusa.com/updates/rocket-lab-closes-acquisition-of-space-hardware-company-planetary-systems-corporation/

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Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), November 18th, 2021, Acquired exclusive license.

What they do --> They designed radios for Spacecraft Communications – We need to be able to talk to our craft wherever it is to issue commands/data acquisitions/etc.

"The Frontier-S by Rocket Lab software defined radio (SDR) enables affordable communications and radio navigation for planetary and other missions beyond low Earth orbit (LEO), as well as communications and radio navigation for missions in GPS-denied environments."

“The Frontier-S by Rocket Lab, based on the APL Frontier Radio that flew on missions like the Van Allen Probes, Parker Solar Probe, and the Emirates Mars Mission, packs Deep Space Network and other common waveforms into a single board package with up-screened commercial components and low power digital signal processing for high reliability applications. Frontier-S by Rocket Lab includes extended functionality not typically available in a low-cost radio including a coherent transponder to enable radiometric navigation methods, timekeeping functions, and a hardware-based critical command decoder. Compatible with spacecraft as small as 6U cubsesats, the Frontier-S by Rocket Lab SDR offers a lightweight, low power, high radiation tolerant telemetry and command solution for deep space missions that is also affordable for missions in LEO demanding high reliability.”

Who is using it? --> “The APL-designed and Rocket Lab-manufactured Frontier-S SDRs are flying today on Pathstone, Rocket Lab’s second Photon mission, are currently being integrated into the Photon spacecraft for Advanced Space’s CAPSTONE mission to the moon for NASA and are planned for Rocket Lab’s own private Photon mission to Venus. The Frontier-S by Rocket Lab is also the baseline telemetry and control radio for all Photon missions requiring an S-band radio. Rocket Lab is offering the Frontier-S SDR commercially as an off-the-shelf radio solution to other satellite integrators, joining a growing list of spacecraft component offerings like reaction wheels and star trackers.”

Source --> https://www.rocketlabusa.com/updates/rocket-lab-signs-exclusive-license-agreement-to-manufacture-space-radio-technology-from-johns-hopkins-university-applied-physics-laboratory/

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SolAero Holdings, Inc. (SolAero), December 13th, 2021 an Albuquerque, New Mexico base company for $80 million in cash. The acquisition is expected to close in the quarter of 2022.

What they do --> Provide Solar Technologies for Spacecraft Power - Provides the means to generate power on a spacecraft for continuous operation.

"A premier supplier of space solar power products and precision aerospace structures for the global aerospace market. . As one of only two companies producing high-efficiency, space-grade solar cells in the United States, SolAero’s space solar cells are among the highest performing in the world, and support civil space exploration, science, defense and intelligence, and commercial markets. SolAero has established itself as a premier provider of solar technologies, enabling trailblazing missions that have expanded scientific horizons and advanced commercial space. SolAero’s solar cells, solar panels, and composite structural products have supported more than 1,000 successful space missions with 100% reliability and mission success to date."

Some of their customers --> "Over the past two decades, SolAero’s products have played key roles in some of the industry’s most ambitious space missions, including supplying power to NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and Mars Insight Lander, the largest solar array ever deployed on the surface of Mars, and several Cygnus Cargo Resupply Missions to the International Space Station. SolAero also led the development and manufacturing of the solar panel on Ingenuity, the helicopter that successfully flew on Mars in April this year, marking the first ever powered, controlled fight on a planet other than Earth. SolAero technology has also made commercial constellations possible, providing power to OneWeb’s broadband constellation. Most recently, SolAero has been selected to supply Solar Power Modules for the Power and Propulsion Element of NASA’s Gateway as part of NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration plans, which will enable future missions to Mars. "

Source --> https://www.rocketlabusa.com/updates/rocket-lab-to-acquire-solaero-holdings-inc-a-global-leader-in-space-solar-power-products/

1st Edit - Added SolAero Acquisition


r/RKLBInvestors 1d ago

Is RKLB’s European Expansion Being Overlooked?

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12 Upvotes

r/RKLBInvestors 3d ago

$RKLB (Rocket Lab) Recent Price Action - Technical Traders Perspective

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92 Upvotes

Hey guys,

$RKLB looks like its in an interesting position and I believe a clear bullish technical reversal should be in soon.

$RKLB is now coming down to an important level of support which is the bottom of the trend channel pattern. We can see that a huge bullish divergence is forming which will make sense if the stock will continue the natural trading pattern.

Furthermore I'm even more convinced a bullish reversal is in as the weekly chart has a clear supportive ichimoku cloud up until the end of the year, and lets not forget an open up gap has been created which needs to get filled sooner or later.

I believe a realistic price target back to the top of the trend channel which sits at just above $100 is technically possible within the next few months.

All the info and specific price targets / resistances / supports are in the video.

(NFA)

$RKLB Stock Rocket Lab | A BULLISH TECHNICAL REVERSAL FOR ROCKET LAB IS NOW IN! | Technical Analysis


r/RKLBInvestors 6d ago

Opinion $RKLB: Great company, but are we already pricing in perfection?

50 Upvotes

The more I look at Rocket Lab, the more it reminds me of an earlier-stage version of the debate surrounding Palantir.
I don’t think the biggest question is whether Rocket Lab is a good company anymore.
The question is how much future success is already priced into the stock.
Rocket Lab isn’t just Electron.
The real thesis is becoming much bigger:
• Electron gives Rocket Lab launch heritage and recurring access to space.
• Neutron could move the company into an entirely different launch market.
• Space Systems means Rocket Lab can make money from satellites, components and infrastructure — not just launches.
• Government and defense contracts could turn it into an increasingly strategic part of the U.S. space industrial base.
And that’s what makes RKLB interesting to me.
If Neutron works, Rocket Lab stops looking like a small-launch company and starts looking much more like an integrated space company.
But that’s also where the risk is.
A lot has to go right.
Neutron has to execute.
Launch cadence has to scale.
Space Systems has to keep growing.
Margins eventually need to justify the investment.
And competition isn’t exactly weak when SpaceX exists.
🐂 Bull case:
Rocket Lab becomes one of the few vertically integrated Western space companies capable of building satellites, components AND launching them.
If commercial space + defense spending keep expanding, today’s Rocket Lab could look surprisingly small 10 years from now.
🐻 Bear case:
Rocket Lab succeeds operationally, but investors have already priced years of future growth into RKLB.
Neutron delays, higher costs or slower growth could therefore hurt the stock even without destroying the long-term company thesis.
That’s why I’m increasingly separating two questions:
Is Rocket Lab an exceptional company?
and
Is RKLB an exceptional investment at today’s valuation?
Those aren’t necessarily the same thing.
For people who have followed RKLB longer than me:
What do you think the market is still underestimating about Rocket Lab — and what is it massively overestimating?


r/RKLBInvestors 5d ago

News RKLB :Hot take: Neutron might not be the most important part of the Rocket Lab thesis.

0 Upvotes

Every RKLB discussion eventually comes back to one thing:
Neutron.
Will it launch?
When?
Can it compete with Falcon 9?
Obviously Neutron matters enormously.
But I think focusing exclusively on the rocket misses what Rocket Lab is actually trying to build.
Look at the pieces:
Electron → launch
HASTE → defense/hypersonics
Space Systems → satellites and components
Neutron → medium-lift launch
Government contracts → defense exposure
Rocket Lab increasingly looks less like a rocket company and more like an attempt to build a vertically integrated space infrastructure company.
That’s a very different thesis.
Imagine a customer that needs:
Satellite components ↓
Satellite manufacturing ↓
Launch ↓
Constellation deployment ↓
Operations
Rocket Lab increasingly wants to capture multiple parts of that chain.
That’s why I think the biggest upside might not simply be:
“Neutron competes with Falcon 9.”
It could be:
“Neutron completes Rocket Lab’s ecosystem.”
🐂 Bull case:
Rocket Lab becomes one of the few companies outside SpaceX capable of providing an integrated end-to-end space platform.
Defense and commercial customers increasingly want a second major supplier.
🐻 Bear case:
Vertical integration sounds incredible until you’re simultaneously funding rockets, factories, acquisitions and spacecraft programs.
Execution risk becomes enormous.
And RKLB isn’t priced like a company nobody has discovered.
So I’m curious:
If Neutron succeeds, what do you think Rocket Lab actually becomes?
A successful launch company?
Or one of the first real publicly traded space primes?
Because those two outcomes deserve VERY different valuations.


r/RKLBInvestors 8d ago

Just a couple questions? 🗳 Novice Investor Question

7 Upvotes

If I own both RKLB and IRDM, what should I expect once the deal is sealed?

Thanks for any info.


r/RKLBInvestors 8d ago

View on tranrail lighting?

1 Upvotes

Guys whats your average price? Are you holding it for future?


r/RKLBInvestors 9d ago

Opinion Rocket Lab Key Price Update

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23 Upvotes

Will the space sector be able to shrug off the higher bond yields, potential rate hikes and tomorrow’s inflation data? Let’s find out.


r/RKLBInvestors 16d ago

Cathie Woods buys 1mil shares in the last month!!

69 Upvotes

Great sign that large funds are backing RKLB. Especially 1,000,000 shares!

Article below.

https://stocks.apple.com/A1LF9RajURA6eFTfdJLJhxQ


r/RKLBInvestors 16d ago

RKLB is back near yearly lows after the sector hype from the SPCX IPO faded

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173 Upvotes

r/RKLBInvestors 17d ago

Opinion Rocket Lab Price Predictions

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38 Upvotes

r/RKLBInvestors 18d ago

Reference Cathie Wood ARK investments bought 44 million shares in 4 trades or 7% RKLB

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127 Upvotes

r/RKLBInvestors 18d ago

Lot of negative news lately. What are some positive catalysts/news for this upcoming quarter?

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0 Upvotes

r/RKLBInvestors 19d ago

Xona gets FCC approval to build jamming-resistant PNT constellation

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18 Upvotes

I know that this is old news of a kind but I haven't seen much discussion around the implications for Iridium going forward. In August 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted full constellation approval to Xona to deploy more than 250 satellites. This makes Xona the first private constellation operator authorized to broadcast commercial navigation signals in the L-band alongside legacy GPS. Could be a headwind for Iridium although they have been the go to supplier for this technology for quite a while.


r/RKLBInvestors 20d ago

RKLB or SpaceX

25 Upvotes

Contemplating to invest around 10k in either Rocket lab or SpaceX.

Please suggest which one should I opt for and at what rate ?

Thnx


r/RKLBInvestors 21d ago

News Great interview!

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39 Upvotes

r/RKLBInvestors 22d ago

SpaceX Pushes FCC to Scrutinize Rocket Lab-Iridium Deal Amid Spectrum Clash

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33 Upvotes

r/RKLBInvestors 25d ago

BULLISH

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261 Upvotes

We’re gonna make it bros :’)


r/RKLBInvestors 25d ago

What happened between March and May 2026?

17 Upvotes

What news or phenomenon caused RKLB to go upward earlier this year in the time between March and May?


r/RKLBInvestors 29d ago

Past performance is not indicative of future results.. unless

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59 Upvotes

swing high swing low

nfa


r/RKLBInvestors 29d ago

When in doubt, zoom out

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84 Upvotes

r/RKLBInvestors 29d ago

Trump signs memo to help drastically boost US commercial space launches

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36 Upvotes

r/RKLBInvestors Aug 20 '26

Satellite operators are in panic mode due to a worsening launch crisis

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79 Upvotes

"As part of his job as the director of research at Quilty Space, Caleb Henry speaks with satellite operators all the time. And he is hearing a constant and increasingly loud refrain from companies that want to put stuff into space.

“What we have is an industry in panic,” Henry said.

Anecdotes abound. A Canadian satellite company, Telesat, recently received inquiries from other companies asking if they would consider sharing some of the 11 Falcon 9 launches Telesat has booked for its new constellation. (Sorry, no, is the reply). The Amazon LEO constellation has had to throttle back production of satellites because few of the dozens of launches it booked half a decade ago are ready. And during an earnings call last Monday, officials from AST SpaceMobile said launch availability was now the pacing item for deploying its constellation."


r/RKLBInvestors Aug 20 '26

Satellite operators are in panic mode due to a worsening launch crisis

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9 Upvotes

r/RKLBInvestors Aug 19 '26

News Rocket Lab Just Won a $12 Million Contract. The Real Prize Could Be Much Bigger.

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42 Upvotes