Rocket Lab’s 2026 Opens With A 9% Pop, An Insider Sale — And Neutron Launch Looming Large

• On Friday, the company in a regulatory filing noted that Chief Operating Officer Frank Klein filed to sell up to 100,000 shares worth nearly $7 million.
• In December, Rocket Lab said that it had been awarded a contract by the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) to design and manufacture 18 satellites.
• The year 2026 is when Rocket Lab expects to launch its Neutron rocket.

Heading into the year, Rocket Lab has emerged as one of the stocks drawing strong investor interest, with shares more than tripling in 2025. The rally has been driven by several catalysts, including an $816 million U.S. government contract and the company’s 21st Electron launch of the year.

On the first trading day of 2026, Rocket Lab shares climbed 9%, signaling renewed optimism toward space and defense stocks after a muted final week of December. Later on Friday, the company disclosed in a regulatory filing that Chief Operating Officer Frank Klein had filed to sell up to 100,000 shares, valued at nearly $7 million.

The US Contract

In December, Rocket Lab said it was awarded an $816 million contract by the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) to design and manufacture 18 satellites for the Tracking Layer Tranche 3 program under the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

The satellites will be equipped with advanced missile-warning, tracking, and defense sensors, enabling global and persistent detection of emerging missile threats, including hypersonic systems. Needham said the award “strongly validates” Rocket Lab as a defense prime, significantly bolsters its fast-growing Space Systems segment, and more than doubles the segment’s backlog. 

Neutron Launch

This will also be the year when Rocket Lab expects to debut its Neutron rocket. In November, the company announced it had pushed back the launch from its earlier plan to fly Neutron by the end of 2025.

At the time, Rocket Lab said cash usage would remain elevated due to continued Neutron development, investments in follow-on Neutron production, and infrastructure expansion needed to scale the business beyond the initial test flight.

Stocktwits Retail Sentiment

Retail sentiment on Rocket Lab dipped to ‘bearish’ from the ‘neutral’ territory a week ago, with message volumes at ‘low’ levels, according to data from Stocktwits.

Rocket Lab has seen a 64% increase in Stocktwits followers in the past year. Shares of Rocket Lab have gained 200% in the last 12 months.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

Also See: FTAI Aviation Heads Into 2026 With Data Center Power Bet — And A Palantir Tie-Up

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