Vacuum Engine Clears Key Neutron Test
The Archimedes Vacuum, or AVac, engine will power Neutron’s second stage. Rocket Lab said the engine completed a full-duration burn and called the work “critical preparation for Neutron’s first flight.” The vacuum variant produces about 1.2 times the thrust of the first-stage Archimedes engine and is 2.5 meters taller because of its longer, space-optimized nozzle.
Neutron is Rocket Lab’s 141-foot medium-lift rocket, designed to carry up to 13,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit and eventually return its first stage for reuse. The rocket will fly from Launch Complex 3 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
Space Force Mission Adds Company MomentumReusable Rivals Shape Neutron’s Launch Market
Price Action: The test gave Rocket Lab shares some relief after a six-session slide. RLB stock was up 2.76% to $78.85 in Tuesday’s pre-market trading. The company is expected to report second-quarter results around Aug. 6.
Benzinga Edge Rankings scorecard for Rocket Lab stock shows a strong momentum score and a favorable price trend in the Long term.
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