Rocket Lab has delayed Neutron's first launch to 2027 due to manufacturing defects in the carbon composite structures of the rocket's first stage propellant tanks. Engineers discovered voids or air pockets between layers of carbon fiber in the dome sections, which is a known challenge when scaling up aerospace-grade carbon composite production.
Background
Rocket Lab's Neutron is a medium-lift reusable launch vehicle designed to compete in the growing commercial launch market. The company has faced repeated schedule slips since announcing the program, with the first launch originally targeted for 2025.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026 at 12:57 AM
- Score
- 5.0 / 10