Rocket Lab wins $397 million U.S. Space Force SB-AMTI contract

Rocket Lab said it was awarded a $397 million U.S. Space Force contract under the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator program, or SB-AMTI, to design, build, launch and operate multiple Flatellites for space-based airborne threat tracking. The spacecraft will carry sensors and low-latency, high-bandwidth communications links, launch on the company's in-development Neutron rocket, and be operated from secure ground facilities. The program is intended to reduce reliance on terrestrial and airborne sensing platforms in contested environments by using orbital sensors, secure communications and AI-powered ground processing to provide persistent, real-time tracking data. The company has since added another operational milestone, completing its 92nd Electron mission and eighth launch for the iQPS Earth-imaging constellation from Mahia, New Zealand. Shares rose 7.45% to $76.66 on Thursday, extending gains after the Space Force award, as investors also looked ahead to Rocket Lab's Aug. 10 earnings report. Analysts tracked by Benzinga cited a consensus estimate for a loss of 7 cents a share on revenue of $231.79 million, compared with a year-earlier loss of 13 cents on revenue of $144.50 million.