Rocket Lab lands $300M NASA contract for three Electron climate and solar missions
RKLB•Rocket Lab secured NASA awards for three Electron launches under the Venture-Class Acquisition program, potentially worth up to $300 million over 10 years. Two Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer launches from Mahia will start no earlier than June 2027, while a TSIS-2 mission measuring solar irradiance is set for early 2027.
1. NASA Awards and Mission Details
NASA selected Rocket Lab’s Electron vehicle for two Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer launches and one Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-2 mission under its Venture-Class Acquisition program, in deals potentially worth up to $300 million over 10 years. The PolSIR flights from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia are slated no earlier than June 2027, with TSIS-2 scheduled for early 2027.
2. Electron Track Record and Production Cadence
Electron has completed nearly 90 orbital missions and deployed over 260 satellites since its debut, while the company’s production system is capable of delivering a new rocket approximately every 11 days, supporting Rocket Lab’s focus on rapid-response launch services.
