Rocket Lab Awarded R&D Funding from Canadian Space Agency to Develop New Reaction Wheel for Medium-Class Satellites
Press Release
LONG BEACH, Calif., Dec. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced it has been awarded funding by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to develop a new medium-class reaction wheel, with targeted minimum angular momentum capacity of 25 Nms, designed to support 500kg – 1,000kg satellites with larger payloads operating in low Earth orbit and beyond.
Awarded through the CSA’s Space Technology Development Program to Rocket Lab’s Canadian subsidiary, the contract aims to accelerate the development of Canadian-designed and built space technologies and strengthen the domestic commercial supply chain. Rocket Lab was one of only 18 companies selected as a part of a broader $14.2 million CAD investment in Canadian space innovation. Rocket Lab will receive $999,951 CAD toward the development of the new reaction wheel which will be developed and qualified at Rocket Lab’s Toronto facility, which has been a cornerstone of Canada’s satellite hardware ecosystem for more than two decades.
President of Rocket Lab USA, Brad Clevenger said: “The space industry is rapidly evolving and so is the demand for reliable, flight-proven components for satellites of all sizes. We’re proud to support the CSA’s initiative by delivering a Canadian-designed, Canadian-built, cost-effective reaction wheel that builds on more than 20 years of flight heritage. Designed and manufactured in Toronto, this new product will expand our portfolio with a high-performance solution tailored for next-generation applications.”
Rocket Lab currently offers a portfolio of flight-proven and affordable reaction wheels that have flown in more than 300 satellites, ranging from 1kg CubeSats to spacecraft over 1,000 kg. The new reaction wheel will be developed to support larger and wider satellites that experience significant moments of inertia, enabling the Company to serve a growing market segment and deliver even more value as an end-to-end space systems provider.
Since acquiring Toronto-based Sinclair Interplanetary in 2020, Rocket Lab has significantly expanded its footprint in Canada, designing and delivering best-in-class satellite attitude determination and control hardware to spacecraft bound for the Low Earth Orbit, Geostationary orbits, the Moon and Mars.
About Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab is a leading space company that provides launch services, spacecraft, payloads and satellite components serving commercial, government, and national security markets. Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket is the world’s most frequently launched orbital small rocket; its HASTE rocket provides hypersonic test launch capability for the U.S. government and allied nations; and its Neutron launch vehicle in development will unlock medium launch for constellation deployment, national security and exploration missions. Rocket Lab’s spacecraft and satellite components have enabled more than 1,700 missions spanning commercial, defense and national security missions including GPS, constellations, and exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and Venus. Rocket Lab is a publicly listed company on the Nasdaq stock exchange (RKLB). Learn more at www.rocketlabcorp.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding our launch and space systems operations, launch schedule and window, safe and repeatable access to space, Neutron development, operational expansion and business strategy are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions.
These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the factors, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of our website at www.rocketlabcorp.com, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
Really solid move by the CSA here. The focus on strengthening domestic supply chains for satellite components is probaly more important than people realize, especially when precision attitude control becomes critical for beyond-LEO missions. What's interesting is how Rocket Lab's existing flight heritage from 300+ satellites gives them a pretty unfair advantage in derisking this kind of developmet.