Rocket Lab pushes 1st launch of next-gen Neutron rocket to 2027
Rocket Lab has delayed the debut flight of its partially reusable Neutron rocket from late 2026 into 2027. Founder and CEO Peter Beck announced the schedule shift in a company video, attributing the setback to a manufacturing issue involving the vehicle's carbon-fiber propellant domes.
Rocket Lab has delayed the debut flight of its partially reusable Neutron rocket from late 2026 into 2027. Founder and CEO Peter Beck announced the schedule shift in a company video, attributing the setback to a manufacturing issue involving the vehicle's carbon-fiber propellant domes. Inspectors discovered internal voids within the carbon-fiber layers of a newly manufactured forward dome.
These caps for the first-stage fuel tanks hold liquid oxygen and liquid methane. While Beck stated the voids did not necessarily mean the hardware would fail in flight, the company chose to pause and alter its automated fiber placement process to maintain strict safety margins. Rocket Lab subsequently tested a new aft dome through the updated process with positive results.
The company now plans to build, cure, and inspect a replacement forward dome by the end of the year. Workers must then integrate the hardware into a complete first stage for testing during the first quarter of 2027. Beck stated that the company expects to announce a new target launch date after those tests conclude.
Announced in 2021 with an initial 2024 target, the 141-foot Neutron has faced multiple delays due to schedule adjustments and a previous fuel tank rupture during pressure
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Original publication: 16 October 2026 17:30
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