StoryTest
Rocket Lab pushes Neutron's first launch into 2027 after voids found in a carbon-fibre tank dome
Rocket Lab has moved the debut of its Neutron medium-lift rocket into 2027, dropping its fourth-quarter 2026 target. The cause is air pockets between carbon-fibre layers in the forward dome of the first-stage propellant tank, made on the company's automated fibre-placement machine. The company is building a new dome and will name a launch date in the first quarter of 2027.
- The previous target was late 2026; no new month or quarter has been given.
- The defect was found in the propellant tank dome after a first-stage tank ruptured during testing in January.
- Next steps: test the new forward dome for voids, assemble the domes into the first stage, then run hydrostatic and cryogenic test campaigns, mostly during Q1 2027.
- Rocket Lab's shares fell more than 10% after the disclosure.