Inside Rocket Lab’s Gauss Thruster: Why Retail Sees 'SpaceX Lite’ In The Making

• Rocket Lab’s Gauss Thrusters are engineered for mass production, with a production line that can already produce over 200 units annually. 
• Space companies have been having their moment in the spotlight amid NASA's Artemis II mission and SpaceX’s upcoming initial public offering, which is expected to be valued at a whopping $2 trillion. 
• Retail traders on Stocktwits discussed the announcement, with some comparing Rocket Lab to SpaceX for its innovations.

Rocket Lab Corp. (RKLB) was in the retail spotlight on Tuesday after the company announced a new electric satellite propulsion system, called ‘Gauss’, designed to fulfil growing constellation demand in commercial and national security space missions.  

Retail chatter around the stock jumped from ‘low’ to ‘normal’ levels, growing 154% in the past day, according to Stocktwits data, with users discussing the new electric propulsion system widely.

What Is The Gauss Thruster?

Rocket Lab’s Gauss Thruster, named after German astronomer and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss, is an electric propulsion system designed to produce a higher specific impulse, or better fuel efficiency, compared to traditional chemical propulsion systems, making it more efficient for longer missions.

While electric propulsion systems are typically hard to produce in high volumes, leading to supply chain issues, Rocket Lab’s Gauss Thrusters are engineered for mass production, with a production line that can already produce over 200 units annually, ensuring it can meet demand for both commercial and national security space applications.

Founder and CEO, Peter Beck, noted that while proliferated constellations have become the norm for commercial and national security space users, the propulsion systems for the spacecraft in orbit have not been available at scale.

“Rocket Lab is solving this bottleneck with Gauss. We’ve successfully scaled other satellite components to thousands of units per year to meet the market’s needs for volume and speed, now we’re giving electric satellite propulsion the same treatment,” Beck said.

Space Surge

Rocket Lab is a space company that provides launch services and on-orbit management solutions, among others, to private and government players.  The company’s spacecraft are supporting NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first planned private commercial mission to Venus. It also played a critical role in the crewed lunar flyby mission Artemis II.

Space companies have been having their moment in the spotlight amid NASA's Artemis II mission and SpaceX’s upcoming initial public offering, which is expected to be valued at a whopping $2 trillion. Earlier, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas listed the top 15 space stocks in a report, with RKLB shares making the list.

What Is Retail Saying?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around RKLB stock improved from ‘bearish’ to ‘neutral’ territory over the past 24 hours.

One user, citing the new electric propulsion system, called the company ‘SpaceX lite’ for its innovation.

Another user appreciated what the company could do for NASA with its new electric propulsion.

A third user said the company’s gains should be much higher amid the new announcement.

RKLB stock was up nearly 4% at the time of writing, and has risen more than 278% in the past year.

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