Rocket Lab delays first Neutron launch to 2027 on carbon composite issues

Neutron slips again

Rocket Lab has delayed the maiden launch of its Neutron rocket once again, blaming carbon composite manufacturing issues. The launcher, which the company has been developing for more than five years, is now expected to fly in 2027. When it was announced in 2021, a 2024 debut was mooted, followed by hopes for 2025 and then 2026.

Neutron is a step up from Rocket Lab's workhorse Electron and is designed to send up to 13,000 kg to Low Earth Orbit.

Voids in the composite

During a briefing, Rocket Lab boss Peter Beck said the company found problems with a first-stage tank that failed qualification due to third-party processing. The company switched to its own internal processes, but then identified an issue with the manufacturing process for the propellant dome: voids that formed within the carbon composite layers.

Beck explained that the voids do not necessarily mean the dome would fail in flight, but they would reduce the margin, so a rethink was required. He said the problem is now solved, though dealing with it has pushed the schedule back.

Testing slips into 2027

In August, Rocket Lab targeted delivery of Neutron to the launch pad in Q4 2026. Beck now expects the cryogenic and hydrostatic test campaigns to run until Q1 2027, after which the company will set a new launch date.

The announcement hit Rocket Lab's shares, which fell from about $63 to near $53 in after-hours trading.

Hungry Hippo waits

When operational, Neutron will feature an entirely reusable first stage with a "Hungry Hippo" clamshell fairing that opens to deploy a second stage before closing for a return to Earth. The timing is notable as SpaceX reportedly seeks to wind down Falcon 9 in favor of Starship. Falcon 9 can loft heavier payloads, but Neutron's mass capability puts it firmly in the same class, assuming it reaches the launchpad.

Sources: The Register