Rocket Lab suffers Neutron testing setback

WASHINGTON — A tank built for Rocket Lab’s Neutron rocket was damaged during qualification testing, threatening to further delay the vehicle’s first flight.

In a Jan. 21 statement, Rocket Lab said a tank built for Neutron’s first stage ruptured during a hydrostatic pressure test. In such tests, a tank is filled with water and pressurized, typically above its rated performance, to check for leaks and verify structural integrity.

“Testing failures are not uncommon during qualification testing,” the company said. “We intentionally test structures to their limits to validate structural integrity and safety margins to ensure the robust requirements for a successful launch can be comfortably met.”

While such failures may be expected during qualification testing, it appears this failure was not intentional, as Rocket Lab stated it was evaluating the impact on Neutron’s development schedule.

“There was no significant damage to the test structure or facilities, the next Stage 1 tank is already in production, and Neutron’s development campaign continues while the team assesses today’s test outcome,” the company said. It added that more information would be provided during its next earnings call in February.

“The team is reviewing the Stage 1 test data, which will determine the extent of the impact to Neutron’s launch schedule,” the company stated.

The disclosure followed observations earlier Jan. 21 by industry watchers at Rocket Lab’s facility in Middle River, Maryland, where Neutron structures are built. A tank that had been visible outside the facility appeared to have collapsed, though it was initially unclear whether the damage was intentional or accidental.

Neutron is Rocket Lab’s reusable, medium-lift launch vehicle. It will launch from Launch Complex 3 at Wallops Island, Virginia, a pad the company completed in August 2025.

At the pad’s formal inauguration, Rocket Lab maintained a schedule calling for Neutron’s first launch before the end of the year. However, Peter Beck, Rocket Lab’s chief executive, had said weeks earlier during an earnings call that the company was on a “green-light” schedule, or one without any major issues, to meet that target.

By the company’s November earnings call, Rocket Lab said the first launch had slipped to 2026. The company said it expected Neutron to be on the pad in the first quarter, with a launch sometime thereafter. Beck said the timing would depend on final pad testing, including a static-fire test of the first stage’s Archimedes engines.

“I’m suspicious if everything just flies through,” he said at the time. “Generally, you expect to see something.”

While Rocket Lab does not plan to recover Neutron’s first stage on its inaugural launch, Beck emphasized that the objective of the flight is to reach orbit.

“We’ve seen what happens when others rush to the pad with an unproven product, and we just refuse to do that,” he said. “You won’t see us minimizing some qualifier about just clearing the pad and claiming success.”