EXCLUSIVE: Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck Says Neutron Is ‘On Track’ For Q4 2026 – If Its Archimedes Engine Can Survive All The ‘Nasty’ Tests

• Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said the company is “on track” to launch its reusable Neutron rocket in the fourth quarter of 2026.
• He added that the Archimedes engine, which is meant to lift the Neutron rocket into orbit, is undergoing “nasty” tests right now.
• The successful launch of Neutron would put Rocket Lab in a position to on-ramp to the U.S. Government's NSSL Lane 1 program, a five-year contract valued at $5.6 billion. 

Rocket Lab (RKLB) CEO Peter Beck on Thursday told Stocktwits that the company is “pushing very hard” to make sure the to launch Neutron by the fourth quarter of 2026, provided its Archidemes engine can survive a series of “nasty” ongoing tests.

“We're on track, but you know it is a rocket program at the end of the day,” he said in an exclusive interview with Stocktwits, adding that Neutron meets the company’s target of reusability. “It’s reliable and it can scale quickly.”

RKLB’s stock rocketed over 10% on Thursday to an over two-month high of over $82 and on track for a five-day rally. It was among the top trending tickers on Stocktwits at the time of writing. Retail sentiment around the company rose to ‘bullish’ from ‘neutral’ over the past day, while chatter increased to ‘high’ from normal’ levels. 

According to one user on the platform, Neutron’s launch could finally push RKLB’s stock price beyond $100. Its current record high stands just shy of that threshold at $96.58, seen on January 16.

"It is a new vehicle and a whole lot of new design. And you can see it sitting on the pad — it looks completely different to anything that's flown before."  — Peter Beck, CEO, Rocket Lab

Neutron Launch Depends On Archimedes Success

Rocket Lab’s Archimedes engine, the liquid‑rocket powerplant designed specifically to lift the Neutron rocket into orbit, is undergoing “nasty” tests right now, Beck told Stocktwits. "If we just had to go up, it's super easy — we'd be in orbit by now. But the reality is, it's just as important to go up as it is to come back down and be reusable again,” he said.

Beck said the tests involve backing off propellant pressures to simulate re-entry conditions and moments when ullage gases mix with the remaining propellant in ways that can cause engines to behave badly. He described it as "force-feeding your baby a food that it really doesn't like and monitoring the outcome.

Speedbumps In Development

In the fourth quarter (Q4), the company reported that a test tank failed at a joint built by a third-party contractor while Rocket Lab's own Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) machine was still being commissioned. According to Beck, on the Q4 earnings call, a later launch with lower beats an earlier launch that fails. 

In March, qualification testing of the Stage 1 tank of Neutron resulted in a rupture during a hydrostatic pressure trial. At the time, Rocket Lab said there was no significant damage to the test structure or facilities, and that the next Stage 1 tank was already in production. 

Neutron Is ‘Mission Enabling,’ Not ‘Mission Critical’

When Neutron debuts, it will be a commercial milestone; more importantly, it will put Rocket Lab in a position to on-ramp onto the US Government's NSSL Lane 1 program, which is a five-year contract valued at $5.6 billion. However, according to Beck, it’s only one piece of the puzzle.

"Neutron is certainly mission enabling, but it's not mission critical. The rocket always steals the show, but there's a bunch of stuff we're focused on that are really needle moving for the company in the next 12 to 24 months," said Beck.

According to him, the goal is to build a “long-term, multi-generational, sustainable space business” that goes beyond the business of launching rockets. 

The company is often compared to SpaceX when it comes to the space economy, and retail investors are hoping the upcoming IPO for Elon Musk’s space company will be bullish for Rocket Lab’s shares as well. RKLB’s stock has gained over 13% year-to-date and jumped nearly 300% in the last 12 months. 

Read also: EXCLUSIVE: Rocket Lab Vs. Space X – ‘Nobody Does Small Launch Better Than Us,’ Says RKLB CEO Peter Beck

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