Rocket Lab has confirmed plans to conduct the first test launch of its reusable Neutron rocket by the end of 2026, according to a report from NASASpaceflight (NSF).
The outlet said the American aerospace company has recently completed testing and integration of key systems on the payload fairing prototype for the new launch vehicle, which has been nicknamed Hungry Hippo. Rocket Lab has also carried out hundreds of tests on the Archimedes engine that will power Neutron, NSF reported.
According to the publication, Rocket Lab already holds several contracts for satellite launches aboard Neutron, including one with the United States Space Force, the branch of the U.S. military responsible for space operations.
How the fairing works
NSF reported that the fairing on the new rocket remains permanently attached to its first stage and opens during flight only before the second stage separates. This design, the outlet said, removes the need for a separate fairing recovery operation, since the fairing lands together with the first stage rather than falling into the ocean to be retrieved.
Neutron is Rocket Lab's medium-lift, reusable rocket, developed as the company's follow-up to its smaller Electron launch vehicle and positioned to compete for the kind of satellite launch contracts currently dominated by SpaceX's Falcon 9.
Composite construction
The report said Rocket Lab manufactures the rocket's stages and fairings from composite materials based on carbon fiber. The company produces its large composite structures using its own 90-ton automated fiber placement machine, according to NSF.
Wider company moves
In June, the trade publication SpaceNews reported that Rocket Lab plans to acquire satellite operator Iridium, which runs a constellation of communications satellites used for voice and data services around the world.
In November 2025, the same outlet reported that Rocket Lab had pushed back the first launch of the reusable medium-lift Neutron rocket. The latest report from NSF indicates the company is now targeting the end of 2026 for that debut flight.
