Rocket Lab’s ambitious push to launch its Neutron medium-lift rocket before the end of the year is entering the home stretch, with CEO Sir Peter Beck telling NSF that his team is “literally sleeping in the factories” to meet the aggressive timeline. “We’ll be there on the last day of December until the last hour trying to get a launch away,” Beck said in a recent interview. “We run green light schedules, meaning there is no fat in everything. Nobody’s waving the white flag yet.”
The 141-foot-tall reusable launch vehicle has passed several critical milestones in recent months. In April, Rocket Lab qualified Neutron’s carbon composite second stage by applying 1.3 million pounds of tensile force — 125% of its maximum operating pressure — while testing flight software, avionics, and guidance systems under cryogenic conditions. The first stage top section, including the distinctive “Hungry Hippo” reusable fairings and aerodynamic canards, completed qualification in May.