Rocket Lab's Neutron Aims to Challenge SpaceX's Falcon 9 with $50 Million Launch Price

Rocket Lab is developing a reusable launch vehicle named Neutron to compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9.

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Neutron is scheduled to debut in 2024 and will have a launch price near $50 million, targeting a cost-per-kilogram basis to match Falcon 9's $67 million price tag.

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Rocket Lab plans to send each of the reusable Neutron boosters 10 to 20 times, and estimates a $20 million to $25 million cost of goods for each Neutron.

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Rocket Lab is going to preserve its position as a dominant space player in the market for launching small satellites with its Electron vehicles.

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The company aims to blast off 15 missions this year and has stepped into building satellite components and spacecraft, which might become a major share of its quarterly revenue.

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Rocket Lab plans to create an end-to-end platform for customers who require space-based services and develop a recurring income source from operating satellites.

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The company believes the best owner of a space asset is someone who can launch, as many current owners are unnatural owners of space assets.

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Rocket Lab sees an evident opportunity in space on the application side.

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The potential for SpaceX to pivot away from Falcon 9 missions could be an incredibly bullish thing for Neutron.

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