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🔍 On-chain Detective |Neutron Key component manufacturing disrupted, maiden flight postponed again,RKLB has already plunged nearly 15%BlockBeats reported that October 15,Rocket Lab announced that it will Neutron move the maiden launch target for its medium-lift reusable rocket from the fourth quarter of 2026 to 2027 year, mainly due to manufacturing issues involving carbon-fiber composite components for the first-stage propellant tank. The company still needs to optimize the design and adjust its production processes.
This is not the first technical obstacle encountered by Neutron This year,January, the rocket’s first-stage tank ruptured during pressure testing, extending subsequent manufacturing and verification work. This further delay means that Rocket Lab timetable for entering the medium-lift launch vehicle market and competing with SpaceX for large-satellite launch orders will be pushed back further, while the realization cycle for related R&D costs and commercial revenue also faces the risk of being extended.
Following the impact of this news,RKLB fell further in after-hours U.S. trading. According to TradingBeats monitoring, on Hyperliquid,RKLB was last quoted at 54.53 USD,24 plunged approximately 14.8%over the past hours. A whale’s approximately 44400 units of RKLB long position was liquidated this morning, with a notional transaction value of approximately 2490000 USD, resulting in a trading loss of approximately 740000 USD(0x58f0).
Previously, according to a Bloomberg August 11 report,Rocket Lab had stated that its Neutron rocket project still faced a risk of further delays, with the maiden launch potentially postponed until 2027 year. The company planned to transport Neutron to the launch pad in the fourth quarter as scheduled, but did not confirm that the rocket would complete its maiden flight this year. Previously,Rocket Lab had targeted completing 2026 by the end of Neutron.
Original link https://m.theblockbeats.info/flash/371989