Neutron
In DevelopmentRocket Lab · United States · First flight Not · Reusable first stage
Rocket Lab's medium-lift reusable launch vehicle for satellite constellations, national security missions and planetary exploration. Features a "Hungry Hippo" fairing that stays attached to the first stage, Archimedes methalox engines, and a reusable first stage designed to land on a sea platform. Rocket Lab targets delivery of the first vehicle to Launch Complex 3 at Wallops Island, Virginia, in the fourth quarter of 2026 and says the window for a launch before the end of 2026 is narrowing. The cost shown is the $50 million to $55 million launch price Rocket Lab has targeted, not a flown price.
Launch price goal
~$50M
Rocket Lab has stated about $50M to $55M per dedicated launch (Peter Beck, Q1 2025 call: "in the area of $55M").
Payload to LEO
13,000 kg
Career record
No counted launches yet
as of 2026-10-09
Next launch
NET 2027
Maiden Flight
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Subscribe in your calendar (every Neutron launch): Apple or OutlookGoogleDownload .icsCalendar entries move when launch times move. A launch known only to the month appears once it has a day.
Launch activity, live
From SpaceNexus's launch tracker (tracked since Dec 31, 2027); outcomes recorded as each flight lands. Career totals above are the vehicle's full history.
Last 90 days
0
launches flown
Tracked flights
0
0 success · 0 partial · 0 failed
Tracked success rate
–
full successes / attempts; partial failures are not successes
On the manifest
3
upcoming launches
Upcoming
Specifications
| Height | 43 m |
| Diameter | 7 m |
| Liftoff mass | 480,000 kg |
| Stages | 2 |
| Engines | 9x Archimedes + 1x Archimedes Vacuum |
| Propellant | CH4 / LOX (Methalox) |
| Fairing diameter | 5 m |
| Payload to LEO | 13,000 kg |
| Reusable | Yes (first stage) |
| First flight | Not yet flown (pad delivery targeted Q4 2026) |
| Last flight | – |
| Variants seen on the manifest | Neutron |
Frequently asked
How much does a Neutron launch cost?
Rocket Lab has not published a list price for Neutron. The figure shown, about $50 million per launch (about $3,846 per kilogram to low Earth orbit), is a stated long-run goal for mature flight rates, not an offered price.
When is the next Neutron launch?
The next tracked Neutron launch is Maiden Flight, NET 2027 from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA. Dates move; Mission Control carries the live countdown.
How reliable is Neutron?
Neutron has no counted launches yet as of 2026-10-09, so it has no career success rate. The tracked flights below come from SpaceNexus's launch tracker.
How much can Neutron carry?
13,000 kg to low Earth orbit.
Status
developmentas of 2026-09-06
Rocket Lab's reusable medium-lift rocket, ~13,000 kg to LEO; first flight targeted late 2026.
Next: First flight. A manifest date on the tracker moves this to flying.
Sources: Rocket Lab investor updates
Public commitments
On the Promise Ledger: 1 entry: 1 revised. Exact words, primary sources, deadlines and outcomes.
What the statuses mean
- Revised:
- the date or quantity was moved before it came due.
The whole Promise Ledger · same rules for everyone, how entries are scored