Rocket Lab

The VLF probe arrives at Venus and begins a 3-minute descent through the cloud layer to scan for organic molecules.

Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy granted Foreign Direct Investment approval on March 31, 2026 for Rocket Lab's $150 million acquisition of Munich-based laser communications specialist Mynaric AG, clearing the final regulatory hurdle. The transaction is expected to formally close in mid-April 2026. Mynaric will remain headquartered in Munich, establishing Rocket Lab's first European footprint. The acquisition brings Mynaric's CONDOR Mk3 optical inter-satellite link terminals in-house, directly supporting Rocket Lab's two U.S. Space Development Agency prime contracts worth a combined $1.3 billion. RKLB shares surged approximately 12% on the news.

Rocket Lab completed its 81st Electron launch on January 30, 2026, deploying South Korea's NEONSAT-1A Earth observation satellite to a 540km SSO for the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). The "Bridging The Swarm" mission was Rocket Lab's second launch in eight days and set a 100% mission success record for 2026. NEONSAT-1A carries a high-resolution optical camera for near-real-time disaster monitoring of the Korean Peninsula. It is the second satellite in a planned 11-satellite government constellation (NEONSAT-1 launched April 2024). CEO Peter Beck: "Two launches in eight days is a strong start to the year."