Rocket Lab books Neutron launch deal with Kepler Communications

Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) has signed a contract with Kepler Communications Inc. to launch a dedicated mission on its Neutron rocket, with liftoff scheduled no earlier than 2028 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 3 on Wallops Island, Virginia.

The mission will deploy multiple satellites to low Earth orbit to expand Kepler's constellation, adding optical connectivity, on-orbit compute, and hosted payload capacity. The satellites are intended to support commercial and government missions.

The contract marks the first time Kepler, which has previously relied on rideshare launches to place its first 33 satellites in orbit, has booked a dedicated mission on a commercial launch vehicle. A dedicated launch gives Kepler greater control over scheduling and orbital parameters.

"Selecting Rocket Lab for our first dedicated launch marks an important milestone for Kepler as we continue to scale our infrastructure," said Mina Mitry, CEO and co-founder of Kepler. "Our customer demand continues to grow, and dedicated launch provides the flexibility to expand and deliver more capacity and capability to the missions we support."

Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck said the contract adds Kepler to "the growing list of organizations selecting Neutron to deliver their missions to orbit."

Neutron is a reusable medium-lift rocket currently in development. According to the press release, the deal pushes Neutron's launch manifest toward full capacity through the end of the decade.

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