The U.S. Space Force has tapped Rocket Lab and startup Stoke Space to join the National Security Space Launch Program as part of NSS, Phase 3, Lane 1 category.

What it means. They will compete for launch contracts worth up to $5.6 billion over the next four years.

And that Rocket Lab and Stoke Space are joining

an elite club of rocket makers, greenlit by the Pentagon to potentially transport the most

sensitive national security payloads, a club that includes SpaceX, Blue Origin, and United

Launch Alliance. For Rocket Lab, it represents a big opportunity for its new Neutron Rocket, a medium-lift

vehicle under development that's exponentially more powerful than the company's workhorse,

Electron.

On this episode, Rocket Lab's CEO and founder, Sir Peter Beck, joins me to discuss the new

award, the timeline for Neutron,

and how it all propels Rocket Lab toward a grander vision.

I'm Morgan Brennan, and this is Manifest Space.

Joining me now, Peter Beck, the CEO and founder of Rocket Lab, fresh off of the news that you've been

down-selected for the National Security Space Launch, Phase 3 Lane 2 competition to begin

competing to with your new rocket launch payloads for national security purposes here in the next couple of years.

What's the significance of this award?

Yeah, no, thanks, Morgan.

Actually, we're really significant.

So there's only a very, very small number of folks

that get trusted with the job of delivering

some of the nation's most, you know, sensitive assets.

So to, you know, to be, to be down-selected and now, you know, capable and eligible to

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