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Exclusive Content

Rocket Lab’s Sharp Rebound: What’s Behind the Recent Momentum

By Ryan Hasson. Publication Date: 12/19/2025. 

In Brief

• Rocket Lab’s sharp recovery from a near 50% pullback reflects strong execution and improving fundamentals, not just a technical bounce.
• Renewed enthusiasm across the space sector, driven by potential SpaceX IPO headlines, has helped reprice Rocket Lab as a core publicly traded space name.
• Continued mission success and the upcoming Neutron rocket represent a significant inflection point that could materially expand Rocket Lab’s long-term growth and contract opportunities.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) has once again reminded investors why it remains one of the most closely watched names in the public space industry. Despite bouts of sharp volatilityalong the way, the stock has delivered another remarkable year, rising roughly 111% year-to-date and pushing its three-year gain to more than 1,200%.

That performance is not purely speculative; it’s been underpinned by consistent execution, mission success, and a steadily strengthening position within the global launch and space services market.

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Just weeks ago, sentiment looked far less confident. After hitting fresh 52-week and all-time highs, shares retraced nearly 50%, a move that tested investor conviction and flushed out weaker hands.

Importantly, the stock found firm support near the $40 level, a zone buyers defended aggressively.

From there, Rocket Lab staged an impressive recovery, climbing nearly 30% as momentum rebuilt. While the technical bounce mattered, the resurgence has been driven by factors beyond chart dynamics.

Talk of a SpaceX IPO Boosts the Sector

One of the most significant tailwinds has been renewed enthusiasm across the broader space sector. Reports suggesting that Rocket Lab’s competitor SpaceX is targeting a blockbuster IPO in 2026, potentially at a valuation near $1.5 trillion, have helped investors revalue the entire industry.

With SpaceX dominating launch, satellite connectivity, and orbital infrastructure through Starlink, that kind of valuation became a powerful benchmark for publicly traded peers. As one of the few scaled and accessible space companies on public markets, Rocket Lab quickly benefited from that reassessment.

Following the IPO chatter, Rocket Lab shares surged, gaining more than 20% in the days after the news was widely reported in early December. The stock briefly pushed toward the mid-$60s before pulling back to the low-$50s.

The move highlighted how sensitive the stock remains to shifts in sector sentiment, particularly when investors begin to consider long-term industry economics rather than near-term volatility. While some of the enthusiasm driven by the IPO buzz has cooled, it helped re-establish Rocket Lab as a core name within a revitalized space trade.

Rocket Lab Continues to Deliver Mission Success

Crucially, the company has continued to execute on the operational front. In mid-December, Rocket Lab completed its first dedicated launch for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The successful mission marked a significant milestone for Electron—its flagship small-lift rocket—and underscored Rocket Lab’s role in providing reliable, responsive access to space for international partners as part of JAXA’s Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program.

That momentum carried into another high-profile success days later. On Dec. 18, Rocket Lab launched the STP S30 mission for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command, completing it five months ahead of schedule. Awarded earlier this year under the Orbital Services Program contract, the mission highlighted Rocket Lab’s flexibility, speed, and ability to support national security priorities. Executing ahead of schedule is more than a symbolic win; it reinforces the company’s reputation as a dependable partner in an industry where reliability is everything.

The Neutron Inflection Point Ahead

Looking ahead, the most important catalyst remains the Neutron rocket. This medium-lift vehicle, scheduled for a maiden flight in the first half of 2026, represents a major advance for the business. Neutron is designed to carry payloads of up to 13,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit — a dramatic increase from Electron’s roughly 300-kilogram capacity. That capability would allow Rocket Lab to compete for much larger commercial and government contracts, putting it more directly into Falcon 9 territory.

If Rocket Lab can replicate the operational consistency achieved with Electron and successfully scale it with Neutron, the company’s revenue profile and strategic positioning could change materially. With improving sentiment, steady execution, and its most transformative product still ahead, the recent recovery in RKLB looks increasingly rooted in fundamentals rather than hype alone.

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