Space Force Awards Rocket Lab $266 Million Contract for Suborbital Launches from Alaska
The U.S. Space Force has awarded Rocket Lab a $266 million contract to conduct 12 suborbital launches over the next three years, primarily from a new launch pad in Alaska. This contract, which is Rocket Lab's largest to date, includes options for six additional missions. The launches will be conducted from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska, providing access to high-inclination, polar, and sun-synchronous orbits. This move is part of the Space Force's strategy to alleviate pressure on its primary launch sites at Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg by utilizing commercial spaceports for smaller satellite launches. Rocket Lab's HASTE platform, a variant of its Electron rocket, will likely be used for these missions, supporting missile defense testing. 
