Rocket Lab Stock Is Shooting Higher Thursday: What's Fueling The Launch?

Adam Eckert

April 24, 2025

Rocket Lab USA Inc (NASDAQ:RKLB) shares are trading higher Thursday after the company announced it was selected by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc (NASDAQ:KTOS) to provide a hypersonic test flight for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).

What To Know: Rocket Lab was awarded a new Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) launch contract for the DOD by Kratos under the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed (MACH-TB) 2.0 program.

The launch agreement represents the first full-scale flight test to be awarded by Kratos under the MACH-TB 2.0 contract, which is a $1.45 billion program designed to quickly expand opportunities to test hypersonic technologies.

“In less than two years since its first launch, HASTE has quickly emerged as a leading commercial test platform of hypersonic systems. With our operational speed and cadence, and the ability to serve multiple mission profiles all in one platform, HASTE is helping to move the needle on hypersonic innovation,” said Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab.

“I’m confident this will be the first of many new opportunities to serve the nation through the MACH-TB program, and we’re proud to be working alongside Kratos to bring this test flight to the launch pad on a rapid timeline.”

Check This Out: Jeff Bezos Space Internet Ambitions Falter As Amazon’s Project Kuiper Struggles To Increase Satellite Production Amid Launch Delays

The news comes after Rocket Lab’s HASTE was selected to support hypersonic test launches as part of two major government defense initiatives in the U.S. and U.K. earlier this month.

The U.S. Air Force selected Rocket Lab to participate in its $46 billion Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition contract, which runs through 2031 and aims to accelerate the procurement of innovative technologies, engineering services and technical solutions.

The U.K.’s Ministry of Defence also selected Rocket Lab under a $1.3 billion framework aimed at accelerating the development of advanced hypersonic capabilities.

Rocket Lab is scheduled to report earnings results for the first quarter after the market close on May 8. Analysts are anticipating a loss of 12 cents per share and revenue of $121.49 million, according to estimates from Benzinga Pro.

RKLB Price Action: Rocket Lab shares were up 6.63% at $21.63 at the time of publication Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro.

Read Next:

SpaceX, Palantir ‘Frontrunners’ In Bid To Build Donald Trump’s Golden Dome: Report

Photo: courtesy of Rocket Lab.

Recommended

Another Gold High? Here's the Move Wall Street Is Missing ... - Ad

From Zero to Rio Tinto in Just Two Years - Ad

Trump Signs Law to Launch Dollar 2.0 - Ad

Nearly half of ETF investors could go all-ETF within five years, Schwab says. Here's how they're building portfolios with funds like ITOT, BND, and XLK.

Trump White House Clamps Down on Press Access

White House restricts reporter access to West Wing Room 140; NSC cites sensitive material, echoing Pentagon curbs, raising press concerns.

Trump's Hidden Fed Agenda

Trump's Hidden Fed Agenda - Ad

Trump's latest moves show he's preparing to reshape the Federal Reserve - and the value of the U.S. dollar. With key appointees already in place, the coming monetary reset could send gold soaring like it did in the 1970s, when it climbed 24X in under a decade.

UPS distribution hub in Louisville has 300 flights per day. What to know

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A at a Louisville, Kentucky airport where the company operates its largest package delivery hub.

Typhoon Kalmaegi leaves 26 dead in Philippines, people trapped on roofs and cars submerged

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Typhoon Kalmaegi has left at least 26 people dead in the Philippines, mostly in flooding set off by the storm, which barreled across the central part of the country on Tuesday, disaster response officials said. Floodwaters trapped scores of people on their roofs and submerged cars.

The Tesla Shock Nobody Sees Coming

The Tesla Shock Nobody Sees Coming - Ad

While headlines scream "Tesla is doomed"...Jeff Brown has uncovered a revolutionary AI breakthrough buried inside Tesla's labs. One that is helping AI escape from our computer screens and manifest itself here in the real world all while creating a 25,000% growth market explosion starting as early as January 29.

ON Semiconductor, Williams Companies And 3 Stocks To Watch Heading Into Monday

Key stocks to watch include Williams Companies, Spirit AeroSystems, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, IDEXX Laboratories, and ON Semiconductor

Shutdown stalemate set to drag into sixth week as Trump pushes Republicans to change Senate rules

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans and Democrats remained at a stalemate on the over the weekend as it headed into its sixth week, with for millions of Americans and President Donald Trump pushing GOP leaders to change Senate rules to end it.

Is This Nvidia's Next Big Invention?

Is This Nvidia's Next Big Invention? - Ad

Nvidia helped trigger a historic AI boom that minted 600,000 millionaires in America. It's now working on a new tech that could be even bigger than AI. According to Bank of America, "this [technology] could be the biggest revolution for humanity since discovering fire."

Dave Ramsey Reveals Why Millionaires Crush Mortgages Early

Dave Ramsey advises buying a home with cash, citing his firm's survey of millionaires who often retire their mortgages in about 10 years.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Buys Blue Chip Stock Near 52-Week Low

Marjorie Taylor Greene is known for buying multiple stocks at a time, based on recent disclosures. A new filing shows one stock bought in November.

America's Defense Future Starts Underground

America's Defense Future Starts Underground - Ad

A N. American metals project just caught the attention of Rio Tinto - a mining giant. With four projects in key regions, this firm is aligned with Washington's push to rebuild the defense-metal supply chain.

Cathie Wood Goes All-In On Peter Thiel's Crypto Play Bullish With Back-To-Back Million-Dollar Buys

Cathie Wood-led Ark Invest purchased shares in Bullish, a crypto exchange backed by Peter Thiel, through three of its funds. Other key trades were also made, including buying shares in CRISPR and Beam Therapeutics.

Pete Hegseth Says War Department Preparing For 'Action' In Nigeria

U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth agrees with Trump's order to prepare for action in Nigeria to stop the killing of Christians by Islamist militants.

The Last Gold Bull Market

The Last Gold Bull Market - Ad

The last great gold bull market of our lifetime has already begun. Global debt is exploding, confidence in the dollar is cracking, and nations everywhere are turning back to gold. The Great Reset is really about gold's return to the monetary system - a moment that will define the next decade... and those positioned early could reap generational wealth.

Rigetti, D-Wave Stocks Down, ETF Reactions Diverge In Market Shakeup

Quantum ETFs face turbulence as Rigetti and D-Wave stocks plummet.

AP Business News Digest

Here are the AP's top business stories that have moved or are planned to move today. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s .

"Tech Prophet" Who Predicted the iPhone Now Predicts...

"Tech Prophet" Who Predicted the iPhone Now Predicts... - Ad

George Gilder - who predicted the iPhone 17 years early and gave Reagan the first microchip - is making his boldest call yet. He says an American nanotech "super-convergence" could mint more millionaires than any event in recent memory. He's found 3 stocks set to benefit before November 18's bombshell.

Hillary Clinton Says Trump Taking A 'Break' From Gold-And-Marble Interior Renovations To Defy Court Order On SNAP: 'Nero Would Be Proud'

Hillary Clinton criticizes Trump for withholding SNAP benefits during shutdown, accusing him of defying court order and being indifferent to public suffering. Democrats blast Trump for creating hunger crisis and breaking the law.

Sawyer Merritt Threatens To Move Assets If Charles Schwab Votes Against Elon Musk's Tesla Pay Package: 'I Can't In Good Conscience...'

Sawyer Merritt criticizes Charles Schwab for voting against Musk's $1 trillion pay package, threatening to move assets.

Metals... Not Missles... Is the New Arms Race

Metals... Not Missles... Is the New Arms Race - Ad

China and Russia control 70% of the world's critical minerals, giving them leverage over the West. One N. American discovery could help shift that balance by developing the metals essential for defense systems.

Cathie Wood Makes $13.4 Million Bet On This Social Network After Earnings Crash — But Dumps Robinhood And Reddit

Ark Invest made significant trades, focusing on Pinterest, Robinhood, and Reddit amid earnings reports. They have confidence in Pinterest's potential despite recent setbacks.

McDonald's Q3 Preview: Report Shows Visitor Slump — Can Value Meals, Monopoly Help Guidance?

McDonald's may have seen a drop in visitors during the third quarter, according to a new report. Here's why investors may be more excited about Q4.

Another Gold High? Here's the Move Wall Street Is Missing ...

Another Gold High? Here's the Move Wall Street Is Missing ... - Ad

Gold just surged past $4,200, up 45% in a year - but Sean Brodrick says $6,900 could be next. History shows when gold booms, one hidden play has delivered far bigger gains - 21x, 49x, even 1,386x. The same strategy once handed 26,000% profits. And Sean says it's back on the table now.

Teradyne, Wayfair, And Illumina Are Among the Top 10 Large-Cap Gainers Last Week (Oct. 27-Oct. 31): Are the Others in Your Portfolio?

Top weekly large-cap gainers included Teradyne, Wayfair, Illumina, Guardant Health, ASE, C.H. Robinson, Lumen, Symbotic, Credo, YPF after strong results.

TSLA, PLTR, IREN And More: 5 Stocks That Dominated Investor Buzz This Week

Retail investors talked up five hot stocks this week (Nov. 3–7) on X and Reddit's r/WallStreetBets: TSLA, PLTR, MSTR, AMD, IREN.

From Zero to Rio Tinto in Just Two Years

From Zero to Rio Tinto in Just Two Years - Ad

It's rare to see a small explorer move this fast. In only two years, this company secured a Rio Tinto partnership, four major properties, and is now drilling across N. America for the metals that fuel national defense.

Zohran Mamdani's Historic Victory Earns Him Congratulations From Bill Ackman, Bernie Sanders — Trump Wasn't 'On The Ballot,' Says President

Democrats win high-profile races despite Trump's absence and shutdown. Zohran Mamdani elected NYC mayor, Abigail Spanberger wins VA governorship, Mikie Sherrill flips NJ.

Japanese game maker Nintendo reports zooming sales and profit on its hit Switch 2 machine

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese video-game maker Nintendo’s net profit jumped 85% in April-September from the year before, as its sales more than doubled following the launch of its hit Switch 2 console in June, the company said Tuesday.

Trump Signs Law to Launch Dollar 2.0

Trump Signs Law to Launch Dollar 2.0 - Ad

Trump just signed law S.1582, unleashing the biggest money shift in 100+ years. For the first time since 1913, private firms - not the Fed - can mint a "Dollar 2.0." Treasury says it could drain $6.6T from banks and pay 10X current savings rates. Early investors in minting firms could see 40X returns by 2032.

Jim Cramer: Chipotle Is 'Too Expensive,' Buy This Plane Maker

On "Mad Money," Cramer discusses Henry Schein, Bloom Energy, Tyler Technologies, Boeing and Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Britain's Treasury chief prepares the ground for a tax-hiking budget

LONDON (AP) — U.K. on Tuesday signaled she will raise taxes in her budget this month, arguing that the economy is sicker than the government knew when it took office last year.

Trump's Hidden Fed Agenda

Trump's Hidden Fed Agenda - Ad

Japan's Toyota, hurt by President Trump's tariffs, reports a drop in profit

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota reported a 7% year-on-year drop in its profit for April-September on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump’s tariffs slammed Japanese automakers, but it raised its forecast for the full fiscal year.

These are the 37 donors helping pay for Trump's $300 million White House ballroom

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says his $300 million White House ballroom will be paid for “100% by me and some friends of mine.”

The Tesla Shock Nobody Sees Coming

The Tesla Shock Nobody Sees Coming - Ad

As Government Shutdown Enters 33rd Day, NYC Officials Warn Of Potential Delays, Ground Stoppage At Newark Airport

NYC officials warn of staffing shortages at Newark airport due to government shutdown, causing delays & potential ground stop.

'No hire' job market leaves unemployed in limbo as threats to economy multiply

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Carly Kaprive left a job in Kansas City and moved to Chicago a year ago, she figured it would take three to six months to find a new position. After all, the 32-year old project manager had never been unemployed for longer than three months.

Is This Nvidia's Next Big Invention?

Is This Nvidia's Next Big Invention? - Ad

Zohran Mamdani Says No More Thanking Veterans Today, Forgetting Tomorrow — Trump, Obama And Others Express Gratitude For Service

America's top political and tech leaders — including Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Tim Cook, and Sundar Pichai — marked Veterans Day 2025 with tributes honoring the courage and sacrifice of U.S. service members.

Trending Now