# Rocket Lab Says Eight of 18 Military Satellites Are in Production for $515 Million SDA Award

> Rocket Lab has eight of 18 satellites in build for its $515 million Space Development Agency award, with launches due by July 2027 and a second $816 million contract.

- Published: 2026-10-28T04:58:16+00:00
- Section: Contracts & Customers
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-28/rocket-lab-sda-satellites-production
- Source: [Stocktwits](https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/rklb-stock-rocket-lab-515m-military-push-8-of-18-satellites-in-production/cZU9TA0RB69)

## Key takeaways

- Rocket Lab said eight of the 18 satellites it is building for the Space Development Agency under a $515 million award are now in production.
- The $515 million award includes a $489 million base value and $26 million in incentives and options.
- A separate $816 million contract for 18 Tranche 3 Tracking Layer satellites brings the two SDA awards' potential value above $1.3 billion.

Rocket Lab said eight of the 18 satellites it is building for the Space Development Agency under a $515 million award are now in production, with launches scheduled no later than July 2027. [Stocktwits](https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/rklb-stock-rocket-lab-515m-military-push-8-of-18-satellites-in-production/cZU9TA0RB69) reported the update, which the company also posted on X.

## Inside Rocket Lab's Tranche 2 Transport Layer Work

[Rocket Lab](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000003o/rocket-lab) is a vertically integrated space company founded in 2006 and headquartered in Long Beach, providing launch services through Electron, HASTE and Neutron, spacecraft platforms and satellite subsystems for U.S. defense, commercial constellation operators and civil space agencies.

Members of SDA's Tranche 2 leadership team visited Rocket Lab's California headquarters to see spacecraft being assembled for the Tranche 2 Transport Layer-Beta program. "Eight of 18 spacecraft are on the floor right now, in build," Rocket Lab said on X. The company said it produces solar panels, structures, star trackers, reaction wheels, radios, flight software, avionics and launch dispensers in-house, and the satellites are based on its Lightning platform.

"Proliferated architectures demand production at scale. Rocket Lab is all in on SDA's mission, and the action on our floor proves it. We're proud to be delivering this," the company said. The $515 million award, announced in 2024, put Rocket Lab National Security in charge of designing, building, testing and operating the 18 satellites, and includes a $489 million base value plus $26 million in incentives and options. The spacecraft will operate in two orbital planes of nine satellites each.

## Rocket Lab's Second SDA Award

According to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), Rocket Lab reported $602 million in revenue for FY2025 and about $200 million in the first quarter of 2026, and held a record backlog of $2.2 billion at the end of that quarter, up 20% quarter-over-quarter and 108% year-over-year. The same records list 17 funding rounds, including a $1.9 billion post-IPO equity round in September 2026.

## Earlier Rocket Lab Defense and Launch Milestones

In October 2026, Rocket Lab launched its 98th Electron mission from New Zealand, deploying three HawkEye 360 satellites into a 520-kilometer low Earth orbit, TradingView reported. The flight was the third dedicated launch for HawkEye 360's RF-sensing satellites and the 19th Electron launch of 2026. Earlier that month, BGR reported that Rocket Lab launched its Inverted Metamorphic Apex solar cell, which omits germanium substrates and is 40% lighter than existing cells at 31.5% solar conversion efficiency.

## Neutron Testing at Wallops Island

Rocket Lab said Neutron's second stage and thrust module were heading to its Wallops Island launch site for ground-system testing, a day before the defense update. Neutron's first flight remains targeted for 2027 following a manufacturing issue with a first-stage tank dome.

## Companies in this story

- [Rocket Lab company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000003o/rocket-lab) · website: https://rocketlabcorp.com

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