The US military wants a Super Space Cargo that carries 13 tons of cargo
Rocket Lab , an aerospace company, will participate in an "experimental mission" for the US Air Force.
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) selected the Neutron, a medium-range reusable vehicle from Rocket Lab, for the Rocket Cargo mission.
This mission aims to demonstrate “point-to-point cargo transportation,” marking a new phase in commercial launch capabilities for the advancement of global defense logistics.
The Air Force is studying the use of commercial rockets to rapidly deliver cargo to any location on Earth in a matter of hours.
However, this ambitious program is still in its early stages. The mission, scheduled for 2026 or later, is a “survival experiment.”
Financial details of the contract were not disclosed by Rocket Lab.
Payload capacity of 13,000 kilograms
The Neutron rocket's next mission will include a payload designed to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and demonstrate its ability to safely transport and deliver cargo. The mission will also carry several other payloads.
The powerful Neutron rocket is designed to carry a massive payload of 28,660 pounds (13,000 kilograms) into low Earth orbit.
Neutron will be used to deploy satellite constellations, support national security missions, and carry scientific and exploration payloads.
“Neutron is a powerful new launch option that will set a new standard in performance, affordability and reliability for government and commercial space users in the medium launch sector,” said Sir Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab.
The rocket remains on schedule for its first launch in 2025.
On Wallops Island, Virginia, Rocket Lab reports that construction of the launch pad is proceeding as planned, as is development of the rocket.
Earlier this year, the company announced that its Neutron rocket will land at sea with its payloads . To facilitate this, the company is modifying an offshore barge, called “Return on Investment,” a finance-related pun, that will serve as an ocean landing platform for return missions.
NSSL contract
SpaceNews reported that the cargo program is not the only major development for Rocket Lab.
Another significant development, which Beck called the “big news” of the quarter, was the selection of Rocket Lab as a competitor for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) contracts.
Space Systems Command (SSC), a branch of the US Space Force, announced in March 2025 that it had expanded the pool of companies eligible to compete for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 contracts.
Under this, Rocket Lab, together with Stoke Space, will now be able to compete with established giants such as Blue Origin, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance.
This decision means that these five companies are now all able to bid on specific launch service orders.
The government expects to award at least 30 missions under this contract, with a total estimated value of $5.6 billion in task orders.
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The article US military wants Super Space Cargo carrying 13 tons of cargo comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/i-militari-usa-vogliono-un-super-cargo-spaziale-che-porti-14-tonnellate-di-carico/ on Sat, 10 May 2025 06:00:09 +0000.