Rocket Lab postpones first Neutron rocket launch to 2027 — Space.com

California-based company Rocket Lab has postponed the first launch of its new Neutron launch vehicle from late 2026 to 2027. The reason was a manufacturing issue with the carbon-fiber tank domes of the first stage, Space.com reports.

Composite dome issue

Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck explained that after a recently manufactured forward dome had cured, inspectors found voids between layers of carbon fiber. Such domes seal the first-stage tanks containing liquid oxygen and liquid methane.

According to Beck, these voids would not necessarily have caused the dome to fail in flight. At the same time, the company decided to proceed only with an adequate safety margin. Following analysis and testing, Rocket Lab made changes to the dome manufacturing process.

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Further testing

The company has already manufactured the aft dome using the updated process. Beck estimates that this element is of the highest quality among the composite domes produced so far, and that the issue has been resolved.

Rocket Lab now needs to manufacture a new forward dome, cure it and conduct an inspection. The company expects to complete this work by the end of 2026. The part will then be integrated into a full Neutron first stage and undergo a series of tests. If everything proceeds according to plan, this stage will be completed in the first quarter of 2027, after which Rocket Lab plans to announce a new target launch date.

Rocket Lab unveiled the Neutron project in 2021 and initially planned the rocket’s debut for 2024. The schedule was later shifted to 2025, early 2026 and late 2026, following the rupture of a fuel tank during a pressure test. The 42-meter-tall Neutron will have a reusable first stage.