New York, May 31, 2026, 18:03 EDT
- Rocket Lab finished Friday at $143.48, losing 3.1% for the session but higher than its $135.76 close a week ago.
- U.S. markets are closed for the weekend. Nasdaq says the next holiday is Juneteenth on June 19, according to its .
- Blue Origin’s New Glenn test explosion dragged on space stocks into the end of the week.
Rocket Lab shares held their May gains coming into the week, though the move higher saw a setback. The stock dropped 3.1% Friday, giving up ground after a Blue Origin rocket test explosion raised some new nerves for space stocks. Rocket Lab closed at $143.48 on Nasdaq.
That’s relevant with Rocket Lab, which has been acting like a favored space-infrastructure play in the market. Shares that rally hard can slide even on indirect news. Investors watching Rocket Lab have to weigh launch risk, valuation, and if the company might issue more stock ahead.
U.S. stock markets are shut Sunday. Rocket Lab trading is due back Monday, unless there’s another halt. This follows the Memorial Day-shortened week on Nasdaq. The next scheduled full holiday for the exchange is June 19.
Choppy trading hit Rocket Lab last week, but the stock still climbed from $135.76 at the May 22 close to $143.48 by Friday’s bell. Shares had eased back after finishing at $150.23 on Wednesday. Friday’s volume came in at 34.9 million, according to the company’s historical price page.
Blue Origin was investigating a New Glenn rocket explosion after a test firing in Florida late this week. No injuries happened, but the incident showed that space hardware failures hit sentiment fast, even if a company isn’t directly linked to the failed rocket.
AST SpaceMobile dropped about 15% Friday, with traders reacting to fears of launch delays in the wake of Blue Origin’s setback. Rocket Lab shares slipped too, though losses were lighter, as the risk-off move hit the wider space group.
Rocket Lab said May 26 it wrapped up the buyout of Motiv Space Systems, now called Rocket Lab Robotics. With the deal done, the company adds space robotics and motion-control gear, tech used in missions like NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover.
Rocket Lab CEO Sir Peter Beck said the deal gives the company “everything needed” to push for leadership in Mars work and space infrastructure. Motiv CEO Chris Thayer said Rocket Lab will speed up its robotics and motion-control business. Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab last week announced a $90 million contract with the U.S. Space Force to build two geostationary-orbit satellites, which are satellites that stay over a fixed spot of Earth by matching the planet’s rotation. The company also wrapped up its ninth Electron mission for Japan’s Synspective.
Backlog is key for bulls, with Rocket Lab’s pile of contracted but unbooked work in focus. The company posted first-quarter revenue of $200.3 million, a 63.5% jump over last year. Backlog came in at $2.2 billion. Rocket Lab is guiding for second-quarter revenue between $225 million and $240 million.
There are risks. Rocket Lab has a $3 billion at-the-market equity program, letting it sell new shares in the market over time. That raises cash, but existing holders can see their stakes diluted. Delays on Neutron, the medium-lift rocket it’s still developing, or a broader selloff in expensive space stocks, could also hit the shares.
Bigger indexes are still looking strong. The S&P 500 closed out its seventh daily gain in a row on Friday and locked in its ninth weekly advance. The Nasdaq Composite booked a 2.4% climb for the week, AP market data show.
Rocket Lab faces a test Monday. After a steep selloff Friday, investors will decide if that was just profit-taking after recent gains, or if they’re bracing for tighter views on launch risk and dilution. The stock is under new contracts, has new capital options, and more people are watching now.
