Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (RKLB) is seeing an uptick in its stock price today, likely driven by its recent involvement in a significant defense contract. The company has been selected to support Kratos Defense & Security Solutions' $1.45 billion hypersonic missile testing project, one of the Pentagon's largest-ever investments in hypersonic testing infrastructure. Rocket Lab will provide its HASTE suborbital launch vehicle for the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed (MACH-TB) 2.0 program, which aims to enhance hypersonic flight capacity in the U.S. This collaboration underscores Rocket Lab's growing role in defense technology and its potential for future growth in the sector.
Additionally, Rocket Lab's position as a Gold Sponsor for the 2025 SEDS Canadians Space Conference, scheduled for later this month, may also be contributing to positive investor sentiment. This sponsorship highlights the company's active engagement in the space industry and its commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration.
The stock is currently trading at $24.23, up 1.34% from the previous close of $23.91. Despite being just 30 minutes into the trading day, the volume is relatively low at 3,442,721 shares, representing only 16.14% of the average daily volume of 21,327,793 shares.