Rocket Lab sold a campaign, not a demonstration

A $266 million Space Force award covers 12 Rocket Lab suborbital launches, with options for six more, and calls for a new operation at Kodiak, Alaska. The opening mission is expected no earlier than the end of 2026. This contract makes repeated military testing a material part of the company’s business; the challenge is standing up another range and delivering the promised tempo.

Each claim is kept next to its source so the story never overstates what official evidence can actually prove.

A running record of what changed, when, and why. Published Jul 27, 2026.