Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB) shares gained ground Thursday after the company wrapped up a mission with the wonderfully named title "Don't Be Such A Square" for the U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command. Nothing says serious national security work quite like a playful mission name, apparently.
The successful launch showcases what Rocket Lab does best: delivering low-cost, reliable, and highly responsive launches for national security customers. When you can move fast and hit your targets, people notice.
Ahead of Schedule and On Target
Here's where things get interesting. Rocket Lab didn't just complete this mission—it delivered the launch five months ahead of schedule. The original target was April 2026, but the company moved it up significantly, demonstrating exactly the kind of responsive launch capabilities that matter when you're supporting technologies critical to maintaining U.S. leadership in space.
This marks Rocket Lab's fourth LC-2 launch in just the past three months, with all of them supporting Department of Defense and space technology objectives. That's a pretty steady drumbeat of successful missions.
The Technical Details
The mission launched from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia, on December 18 at 12:03 a.m. ET. The Electron rocket deployed four DiskSat spacecraft into a 550-kilometer low Earth orbit for the Department of Defense's Space Test Program.
The Aerospace Corporation developed the DiskSats, which were managed by the Space Systems Command's System Delta 89 under the leadership of Lt. Col. Cesar Rodriguez, and funded by NASA's Small Spacecraft & Distributed Systems program.
Breaking Records
"Don't Be Such A Square" also marked Electron's 20th launch of the year and its 78th mission overall, pushing Rocket Lab's annual launch record to a new high. Twenty launches in a single year is no small feat for a company that started as the scrappy upstart in the launch services business.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck captured the moment: "We're meeting the space access demands of the U.S. Space Force with our consistent execution, and this launch is another proud moment in Rocket Lab's long history of successful missions for defense, national security, and commercial space users."
Lt. Col. Brian Shimek, Director of the Department of Defense Space Test Program, added his own praise: "We are immensely proud of this collaboration with Rocket Lab, the Capability Development Branch, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), The Aerospace Corporation, and the Rocket Systems Launch Program."
He continued, "Their exceptional teamwork and dedication have made this achievement possible. Proving these advanced technologies in the space environment is a critical step towards their integration into future operational Space Force systems, ensuring our nation maintains its edge in space."
Rocket Lab shares were up 1.17% at $54.59 during premarket trading on Thursday.