Rocket Lab Announces Acquisition of Satellite Communications Provider Iridium

WASHINGTON – Rocket Lab is slated to acquire satellite communications (SATCOM) provider Iridium, completing a five‑year strategy to transform the company into a full‑service space‑defense enterprise.

The acquisition will give Rocket Lab instant access to space‑based applications, supporting its long‑term goal of expanding beyond launch services and spacecraft manufacturing to include recurring revenue streams from satellite services, the joint Rocket Lab‑Iridium statement disclosed today.

“By combining Iridium’s proven heritage, reliable infrastructure, and highly valuable spectrum with Rocket Lab’s proven launch and manufacturing capabilities, we can open entirely new markets,” CEO Sir Peter Beck said in the statement.

A Rocket Lab spokesperson noted that the deal “accelerates Rocket Lab’s entry into space applications and ‘space as a service.’”

“Through this acquisition, we will be better positioned to respond to any and all market demands and directions,” the spokesperson added. “Vertical integration is central to this partnership – allowing us to build, launch, and operate our own spacecraft quickly and cost‑effectively.”

The joint statement outlined several space applications Rocket Lab intends to offer following the Iridium purchase, including space‑based internet access, direct‑to‑device connectivity, and position, navigation, and timing (PNT) capabilities independent of GPS or other jamming‑vulnerable constellations. These services have attracted interest from the U.S. Space Force and allied military agencies.

The newly acquired Iridium constellation will complement Rocket Lab’s planned Neutron heavy‑lift vehicle, slated for launch later this year after a two‑year delay, as an ideal platform for replenishment and new constellation deployment. Its medium‑lift Electron rocket will be well suited for deploying technology demonstrators that enable rapid iteration.

Founded as a launch company in New Zealand in 2026 and incorporated in the U.S. in 2013 with a focus on the U.S. defense market, Rocket Lab has pursued a series of acquisitions to advance its vertical integration agenda. Notable purchases include satellite hardware‑maker Sinclair Interplanetary (April 2020), guidance and control system developer Advanced Solutions (October 2021), satellite separation system maker Planetary Systems Corp (December 2021), solar‑panel manufacturer Solaero (January 2022), missile‑warning sensor developer GEOST (August 2025), inter‑satellite link maker Mynaric (April 2026), and robotic arm and motor controller builder Motiv Space Systems (May 2026).

In March 2025, Rocket Lab, alongside Stoke Space, received approval from the U.S. Space Force to compete for future contracts worth up to $5.6 billion over the next five years under the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 program, which supports the launch of smaller payloads to less‑complex orbits. Other providers in the pool include Blue Origin, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance.

Last December, Rocket Lab secured one of four Space Development Agency contracts to deliver and operate 18 satellites as part of its Tranche 3 Tracking Layer, scheduled for launch in fiscal 2029. The contract, valued at up to $805 million, includes the development of advanced sensors for missile warning, tracking, and targeting.

Iridium operates a constellation of 66 satellites and 14 spares in low‑Earth orbit, serving a global customer base of 2.55 million that includes militaries, governments, and commercial subscribers who rely on voice, data, and PNT services. The joint statement highlighted Iridium’s hold on a swathe of L‑band spectrum, offering significant room for future expansion of satellite services.

The L‑band spectrum is pivotal, as it enables Rocket Lab to grow Iridium’s emerging direct‑to‑device service amid a rapidly expanding market, noted Caleb Henry, director of research at Quilty Space.

“The reason to buy Iridium is its direct‑to‑device spectrum that everyone wants,” Henry told Breaking Defense.

Iridium has long been a key provider of mobile communications bandwidth to the U.S. military and has worked closely with the Space Force in recent years. In December 2025, the company secured a five‑year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract worth up to $85.8 million from Space Systems Command Commercial Space Office to upgrade the Space Force’s mobile communications infrastructure, including the Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services (EMSS) Service Center. It also provides EMSS capabilities to U.S. military services under a $103 million contract issued in June 2024, following a $54 million contract awarded in 2019.

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