Rocket Lab Stock Jumps After Early U.S. Space Force Launch: RKLB News, Forecasts, and Fresh 2025 Valuation Debate (Dec. 18, 2025)
Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) is back in the headlines on December 18, 2025, after the company pulled off a national-security launch ahead of schedule—an operational flex that helped lift the stock in Thursday trading and reignited the ongoing tug‑of‑war between “execution momentum” and “already-priced-in optimism.” Rocket Lab stock today: what’s driving RKLB on Dec. 18, 2025 Rocket Lab said it successfully launched the STP‑S30 mission for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command, completing the mission five months ahead of schedule. The launch—named “Don’t Be Such A Square”—lifted off just after midnight from Launch Complex 2 at the Mid‑Atlantic