New York, Feb 10, 2026, 14:48 ET — Regular session
- Rocket Lab slipped 4.1% to $72.72, erasing Monday’s bounce.
- Traders cite fresh SpaceX IPO buzz alongside resurfacing questions about the Mars sample-return payout.
- All eyes turn to Feb. 26, when results drop and an update on Neutron’s launch timeline is also on the docket.
Rocket Lab Corporation slipped Tuesday, shedding $3.12, or 4.1%, to trade at $72.72 in the afternoon. That move pared gains from Monday’s 4.9% surge. Space stocks remained on edge, swayed by headline risk. 1
Rocket Lab shares slid again, tacking onto a string of volatile moves that have turned the company into something of a barometer for the “space trade.” According to Benzinga, pressure is mounting after Congress opted to hold back funding for NASA’s planned 2031 Mars sample-return mission. Add in another round of SpaceX IPO chatter, and some investors are cashing out of public space stocks. 2
Why now: Rocket Lab’s quarterly update lands in under three weeks, and investors are waiting for details on Neutron’s budget and launch timeline. The company plans to release its fourth-quarter and 2025 full-year figures after the U.S. market shuts on Feb. 26, with the conference call set for 5 p.m. ET. 3
Neutron’s timeline is under scrutiny following a failed qualification test in the past month. Rocket Lab reported a rupture in the Stage 1 tank during a hydrostatic pressure test, and told investors it plans to provide a revised Neutron schedule during the February earnings call. 4
The Mars story isn’t really about this year’s revenue—it’s about the bigger picture. Earlier this month, shares took a hit after Congress declined to back the $4 billion NASA sample return plan tied to Perseverance, Investors Business Daily said. After that, investors began rethinking the outlook for contracts that stretch out years. 5
“Space is kind of a beta industry,” said Andrew Chanin, chief executive at ProcureAM, speaking to Barron’s this month. He was talking about the sector’s tendency to exaggerate sentiment-driven moves. Beta tracks how much an asset shifts compared to the market. 6
It hasn’t just been Rocket Lab on a rollercoaster. Space stocks across the board have been swinging sharply—AST SpaceMobile, for instance, has also taken a hit lately. Fresh competition and chatter about major IPOs are shaking up the sector’s money flows, MarketWatch noted. 7
Rocket Lab splits its focus between launch services, anchored by the Electron rocket, and a space-systems division handling spacecraft and components. The Neutron vehicle, built for heftier payloads than Electron, sits at the heart of Rocket Lab’s growth story — and stirs debate about just how much future expansion investors have already factored in.
Still, things can turn in a hurry. If Neutron’s debut gets pushed back again—or if it looks like expenses and cash burn are creeping up—shares, which have already been reacting to policy news and IPO chatter, could take another hit.
The next real inflection point for investors lands with Rocket Lab’s Feb. 26 earnings and conference call. That Neutron schedule update—coming into focus now—may determine if Tuesday’s drop is just a blip, or the start of something that sticks.
