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Space Industry News 18 December 2025 - 22 December 2025

Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock: Space Force Satellite Deal, Record Electron Launches, Neutron Timeline, and Wall Street Forecasts Ahead of the Dec. 22, 2025 Market Open

Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock: Space Force Satellite Deal, Record Electron Launches, Neutron Timeline, and Wall Street Forecasts Ahead of the Dec. 22, 2025 Market Open

Ahead of the U.S. stock market open on Monday, December 22, 2025, Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) is back in the spotlight after a cluster of news catalysts that hit within days: a landmark U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) award tied to missile warning satellites, a high-tempo stretch of launches for national security customers, and fresh focus on the company’s next major growth step—Neutron, its reusable medium-lift rocket. What matters now for investors is separating headline-driven momentum from the operational and financial realities that will determine whether Rocket Lab can “grow into” its valuation through 2026 and beyond—especially in a
22 December 2025
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Rocket Lab Stock (RKLB) Week Ahead: Record Close After $816M Space Force Satellite Deal—Catalysts, Forecasts, and Key Risks to Watch

Rocket Lab Stock (RKLB) Week Ahead: Record Close After $816M Space Force Satellite Deal—Catalysts, Forecasts, and Key Risks to Watch

As of Sunday, December 21, 2025, Rocket Lab Corporation stock (NASDAQ: RKLB) is heading into a holiday-shortened trading week after a stunning two-day surge that pushed shares to a record close of $70.52 on Friday, December 19. The rally has been fueled by a major U.S. national-security satellite award—Rocket Lab’s largest contract to date—alongside fresh launch momentum that capped off a milestone year for its Electron rocket. StockAnalysis+2MarketWatch+2 What happens next may depend less on headlines about “space hype” and more on whether Rocket Lab can convert a growing defense backlog into predictable manufacturing execution—while keeping investors confident in its
21 December 2025
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Space and Defense Stocks Week Ahead (Dec 22–26, 2025): Space Force Satellite Awards, FY2026 NDAA Tailwinds, and Wall Street’s Latest Calls

Space and Defense Stocks Week Ahead (Dec 22–26, 2025): Space Force Satellite Awards, FY2026 NDAA Tailwinds, and Wall Street’s Latest Calls

As the market heads into a holiday‑shortened trading week, space and defense stocks are entering the final stretch of 2025 with unusually strong crosscurrents: a fresh wave of U.S. Space Force satellite awards, a newly signed FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that locks in record policy-level defense spending, and geopolitics that can still swing sentiment overnight—from Ukraine peace talks to Taiwan arms packages. The week ahead (Dec. 22–26) will likely be defined by two realities investors should keep in mind at the same time: Below is what matters most as of Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025—and how it could shape
21 December 2025
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Space & Satellite Tech Stocks Week Ahead: Rocket Lab’s $816M Space Force Win, AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 6 Launch, and EchoStar’s Spectrum Spotlight

Space & Satellite Tech Stocks Week Ahead: Rocket Lab’s $816M Space Force Win, AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 6 Launch, and EchoStar’s Spectrum Spotlight

Holiday-shortened trading weeks can be deceptively eventful for space and satellite tech stocks: lower liquidity tends to amplify moves, while “hard” catalysts like contract awards, launch milestones, and regulatory headlines still land on the tape. Heading into the week of Dec. 22–26, 2025, investors are digesting a tightly packed stream of headlines and fresh analyst takes published Dec. 19–21—with Rocket Lab (RKLB), AST SpaceMobile (ASTS), Intuitive Machines (LUNR), EchoStar (SATS), and Planet Labs (PL) among the most-discussed names. Below is what moved the group over Dec. 19–21, 2025, and what to watch next as space and satellite stocks set up
21 December 2025
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Military Tech Stocks Week Ahead (Dec. 22–26, 2025): Space Force Satellite Awards, Drone Dominance, and Analyst Calls in Focus

Military Tech Stocks Week Ahead (Dec. 22–26, 2025): Space Force Satellite Awards, Drone Dominance, and Analyst Calls in Focus

Military tech stocks are heading into the Christmas-shortened trading week with fresh catalysts from December 19–21 that reinforce a clear narrative: modern defense spending is tilting toward space-based sensing, low-cost drones, and software-heavy systems—while investors debate how much of that shift is already priced into 2025’s big gains. Barron’s+3Air & Space Forces Magazine+3Reuters+3 With U.S. equity markets set to close early on Wednesday, December 24, and remain closed on Thursday, December 25, any headlines on contracts, policy, or analyst calls can have an outsized impact in thinner liquidity—especially for smaller-cap “pure-play” defense tech names. Investopedia+2New York Stock Exchange+2 Below is
21 December 2025
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Rocket Lab Stock (RKLB) Hits Record Close After $816M Space Force Deal as Electron Wraps 2025 With 21 Successful Launches

Rocket Lab Stock (RKLB) Hits Record Close After $816M Space Force Deal as Electron Wraps 2025 With 21 Successful Launches

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB) stock is back in the spotlight as of Sunday, December 21, 2025, following a rapid-fire stretch of catalysts that tied together two things Wall Street loves: defense dollars and operational execution. The company’s shares surged to a record close of $70.52 on Friday, December 19, after news of its largest contract to date, and Rocket Lab then capped the weekend with an announcement that Electron finished 2025 with 21 launches and a 100% mission success rate. MarketWatch+1 The result is a stock story with multiple layers: a major government satellite award, proof-of-pace in launch cadence,
21 December 2025
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Rocket Lab Stock (RKLB) Surges After $816M Space Force Satellite Contract — News, Forecasts and Analyst Outlook for Dec. 20, 2025

Rocket Lab Stock (RKLB) Surges After $816M Space Force Satellite Contract — News, Forecasts and Analyst Outlook for Dec. 20, 2025

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB) ended the week in the spotlight after its stock surged to a fresh record close on Friday, Dec. 19, powered by a headline defense win that could reshape the company’s space-systems narrative. As of Saturday, Dec. 20, investors and analysts are digesting what the Space Development Agency (SDA) award means for Rocket Lab’s revenue visibility, backlog profile, and competitive position heading into 2026—when the market expects a major inflection point with the debut of Neutron, Rocket Lab’s reusable medium-lift rocket. MarketWatch+1 Below is a detailed roundup of the latest news and the most widely cited
21 December 2025
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Rocket Lab Stock (RKLB) Surges After $805M–$816M SDA Satellite Deal: Latest News, Analyst Forecasts, and 2026 Outlook

Rocket Lab Stock (RKLB) Surges After $805M–$816M SDA Satellite Deal: Latest News, Analyst Forecasts, and 2026 Outlook

December 20, 2025 — Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB) is closing out 2025 with a catalyst that investors have been waiting for: a major U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) award that further cements the company’s shift from “small-launch specialist” to vertically integrated national-security space prime. Shares surged to a record close of $70.52 on Friday, December 19, after the contract news hit, capping a volatile but powerful year for the stock. MarketWatch What follows is a full, up-to-date breakdown of the news driving Rocket Lab stock, the contract details, the latest financial guidance, and the most current analyst forecasts and
20 December 2025
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Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock in Focus on Dec. 20, 2025: $816M SDA Satellite Win, Faster Launch Cadence, and Neutron’s 2026 Countdown

Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock in Focus on Dec. 20, 2025: $816M SDA Satellite Win, Faster Launch Cadence, and Neutron’s 2026 Countdown

December 20, 2025 — Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB) enters the weekend with investors re-pricing what the company actually is: not “just a small-rocket shop,” but an increasingly serious national security space contractor with an expanding space-systems footprint and a medium-lift rocket program (Neutron) nearing its critical first-flight phase. Rocket Lab+1 The near-term catalyst is straightforward: Rocket Lab disclosed an $816 million prime contract connected to the U.S. Space Development Agency’s Tracking Layer Tranche 3 program—work that puts Rocket Lab alongside legacy primes in building an infrared satellite architecture designed for missile warning, tracking, and defense (including hypersonic threats). Rocket
20 December 2025
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Intuitive Machines Stock (LUNR) Surges Toward $15: KeyBanc’s $20 Target, NASA Contract Catalysts, and What Comes Next

Intuitive Machines Stock (LUNR) Surges Toward $15: KeyBanc’s $20 Target, NASA Contract Catalysts, and What Comes Next

December 20, 2025 — Intuitive Machines, Inc. (NASDAQ: LUNR) is back in the spotlight after a dramatic late-week move that has traders debating whether this is the start of a new leg higher—or a classic momentum spike in one of the market’s most volatile space plays. Shares most recently traded around $14.94 after a surge of roughly 38% in the latest session (Friday, Dec. 19). Trefis So what’s driving the move, what are analysts forecasting now, and which catalysts matter most heading into 2026? Here’s a comprehensive, up-to-date breakdown of the current news, forecasts, and analyses as of Dec. 20,
20 December 2025
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Virgin Galactic (SPCE) Stock News and Forecast — Dec. 20, 2025: Debt “Reset,” Analyst Targets, and the Long Road to Delta Flights

Virgin Galactic (SPCE) Stock News and Forecast — Dec. 20, 2025: Debt “Reset,” Analyst Targets, and the Long Road to Delta Flights

Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) is ending the week with a familiar combo for space-tourism investors: a sharp move in the share price, a capital-structure overhaul, and a business timeline that still points to 2026 as the real inflection year. On Friday, December 19, SPCE rose 6.71% to close at $3.50, marking a fourth straight day of gains. Volume came in at 7.9 million shares, well above its 50‑day average of 4.5 million, a sign the name is back on traders’ radar. Even after the rally, the stock is still about 48% below its 52‑week high of $6.77 (set
20 December 2025
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Rocket Lab Stock (RKLB) Hits a Record High After a Landmark $816M Missile-Tracking Satellite Deal: News, Forecasts, and What’s Next (Dec. 20, 2025)

Rocket Lab Stock (RKLB) Hits a Record High After a Landmark $816M Missile-Tracking Satellite Deal: News, Forecasts, and What’s Next (Dec. 20, 2025)

December 20, 2025 — Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB) is ending the week with the kind of headline every growth stock dreams about: a record close, a major U.S. national security contract, and renewed investor focus on the company’s longer-term “make-or-break” catalyst—Neutron, its next-generation medium-lift rocket. Shares surged into Friday’s close (the last trading session before today’s weekend), closing at $70.52, up 17.7% on the day and marking a new record. The move followed Rocket Lab’s announcement of its largest contract to date, a prime award tied to the U.S. Space Force’s proliferated missile-warning and missile-defense satellite architecture. MarketWatch+1 Below
20 December 2025
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Rocket Lab Stock After Hours (RKLB): $816M Space Force Satellite Deal Fuels a Friday Surge — What to Know Before the Next Market Open

Rocket Lab Stock After Hours (RKLB): $816M Space Force Satellite Deal Fuels a Friday Surge — What to Know Before the Next Market Open

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB) ended Friday, December 19, 2025, with one of its biggest single-day moves of the year — and the buying didn’t fully stop when the closing bell rang. Shares closed at $70.52, up $10.60 (+17.69%), and then climbed further in after-hours trading as investors digested Rocket Lab’s newly announced $816 million prime contract tied to U.S. missile-warning and tracking satellites. MarketWatch+2MarketWatch+2 One important calendar note: U.S. markets are closed on Saturday and Sunday, so “tomorrow” (Dec. 20) isn’t a trading session. The next U.S. market open is Monday, December 22, 2025 — and that’s when we’ll
20 December 2025
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Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock Surges on $805M Space Force-Backed SDA Award as Launch Cadence Fuels Fresh Wall Street Debate

Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock Surges on $805M Space Force-Backed SDA Award as Launch Cadence Fuels Fresh Wall Street Debate

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB) is back at the center of the public-space investing conversation on Friday, December 19, 2025, after a one-two catalyst combo: a major Space Development Agency (SDA) award tied to U.S. missile warning and tracking, and a rapidly executed U.S. Space Force launch that underscored Rocket Lab’s “responsive space” credibility. By late morning, RKLB was trading around $68, up roughly 14% on the day, and pushing toward fresh short-term highs. StockAnalysis+1 What’s notable is why the stock is moving: today’s rally isn’t just about rockets. It’s increasingly about Rocket Lab’s evolution into a full-stack space prime—launch
19 December 2025
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Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock News and Forecasts on Dec. 19, 2025: Space Force DiskSat Launch, Neutron Progress, and Wall Street Price Targets

Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock News and Forecasts on Dec. 19, 2025: Space Force DiskSat Launch, Neutron Progress, and Wall Street Price Targets

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB) is ending 2025 the way it likes to operate: fast, frequent, and (so far) reliably on-target. As of December 19, 2025, Rocket Lab stock is back in the spotlight after a U.S. Space Force mission flew successfully just after midnight on Dec. 18, adding another proof-point to the company’s growing role in national security launches—while investors continue debating the bigger catalyst looming in the near future: Neutron. The result is a stock story with two simultaneous plotlines. One is immediate and measurable—launch cadence, customer responsiveness, and near-term financial guidance. The other is the market’s favorite
19 December 2025
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Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock in Focus After Space Force DiskSat Launch, JAXA Tech Demo Mission, and New $805M SDA Award

Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock in Focus After Space Force DiskSat Launch, JAXA Tech Demo Mission, and New $805M SDA Award

Dec. 19, 2025 — Rocket Lab is ending the week at the center of both the space economy and Wall Street attention, after a rapid-fire stretch of mission milestones, fresh analyst optimism on industry consolidation, and a major U.S. defense procurement update that puts the company alongside the biggest aerospace primes. On Thursday, Rocket Lab shares surged at a double-digit clip after the company successfully executed the STP-S30 mission for the U.S. Space Force—five months ahead of schedule—deploying four experimental “DiskSat” spacecraft into low Earth orbit. The Motley Fool+1 Today, the Space Development Agency (SDA) added to that momentum by
19 December 2025
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Intuitive Machines (LUNR) Stock News Today: KeyBanc Starts Coverage With a $20 Target as Space Policy Spotlight Returns

Intuitive Machines (LUNR) Stock News Today: KeyBanc Starts Coverage With a $20 Target as Space Policy Spotlight Returns

Intuitive Machines, Inc. (NASDAQ: LUNR) is drawing fresh attention on December 19, 2025, after a mix of Wall Street coverage, retail chatter, and Washington headlines put lunar-exploration stocks back in the fast lane. In early pre-market trading, LUNR rose about 8% to roughly $11.70, extending gains from Thursday’s session. Benzinga The move comes as KeyBanc initiated coverage with an Overweight rating and a $20 price target, while broader “space policy” news has also pushed space-related tickers onto trending lists. Investing.com India+2Stocktwits+2 What follows is a full, publication-ready roundup of today’s key news, forecasts, and analyst framing around Intuitive Machines stock—plus
19 December 2025
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Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock News Today: Space Force “DiskSat” Launch Drives Big Move as Analysts Reprice Neutron Outlook (Dec. 19, 2025)

Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock News Today: Space Force “DiskSat” Launch Drives Big Move as Analysts Reprice Neutron Outlook (Dec. 19, 2025)

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) is back in the market spotlight heading into Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, after a sharp stock move tied to a fast-tracked national security launch—and amid a steady drumbeat of investor debate over what matters most next: Electron launch cadence, Space Systems margin momentum, and whether Neutron’s 2026 debut can justify an already-punchy valuation. On Thursday, Rocket Lab shares closed at $59.92, up 11.05%, after trading between $56.03 and $60.25 on heavy volume, according to StockAnalysis.com’s daily pricing data. Early Friday, the stock was indicated higher again in pre-market trading. StockAnalysis Below is the full, publication-ready rundown
19 December 2025
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Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock After Hours Today: Space Force STP-S30 Launch Sparks a Late Bid — What to Know Before the Market Opens Dec. 19, 2025

Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock After Hours Today: Space Force STP-S30 Launch Sparks a Late Bid — What to Know Before the Market Opens Dec. 19, 2025

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB) ended Thursday, December 18, 2025 in the spotlight — and the buying didn’t fully stop when the closing bell rang. After a powerful regular-session surge, RKLB closed at $59.92, up 11.05%, and then traded around the $60.7 area in late after-hours indications (roughly $60.74 around 7:59 p.m. ET in some feeds). StockAnalysis+1 The catalyst: Rocket Lab’s successful STP‑S30 mission for the U.S. Space Force, executed five months ahead of schedule — a headline that hit both space-industry credibility and “execution premium” narratives that often move the stock fast. GlobeNewswire+2ssc.spaceforce.mil+2 Below is what happened today, why
19 December 2025
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Rocket Lab Stock Surges on Space Force STP‑S30 Launch: RKLB News, Analyst Forecasts and What Investors Are Watching (Dec. 18, 2025)

Rocket Lab Stock Surges on Space Force STP‑S30 Launch: RKLB News, Analyst Forecasts and What Investors Are Watching (Dec. 18, 2025)

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB) is in focus on Thursday, December 18, 2025, after the company successfully launched a U.S. Space Force mission five months ahead of schedule—a headline that helped lift the stock after a volatile mid‑week stretch. GlobeNewswire+1 Rocket Lab stock today: a rebound driven by execution Rocket Lab shares moved higher on Thursday after the company said it successfully launched STP‑S30 (“Don’t Be Such A Square”) for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command. A Dow Jones/MarketScreener report noted RKLB rose to about $56.96 in late‑morning trading, and MarketScreener’s real‑time quote later showed the stock near $59.42
18 December 2025
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Stock Market Today

RTX stock faces Pentagon payout curb list next week as dividend stays in play

RTX stock faces Pentagon payout curb list next week as dividend stays in play

7 February 2026
RTX closed at $198.66 Friday, up 1.4%, after declaring a 68-cent quarterly dividend payable March 19. The Pentagon is expected to name defense contractors early next week that could face limits on dividends and buybacks under a Trump order. RTX’s Raytheon unit has been singled out as “least responsive.” Companies named would have 15 days to submit remediation plans.
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