Rocket Lab lands US$397m Space Force contract for Neutron, SpaceX confirms plans to go after telcos

Chris KeallTechnology Editor/Senior Business Writer·NZ Herald·5 Aug, 2026 03:57 AM6 mins to read‌SpaceX founder Elon Musk. On his company's quarterly earnings call, the firm confirmed plans for its Starlink division to take on mobile phone companies in the US.Rocket Lab has landed yet another large US military contract to help thwart incoming missile threats.The Kiwi-American firm says it’s been awarded a US$397 million ($709m) contract under the US Air Force’s Space Force Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator (SB-AMTI) programme. It’s far from being the largest contract in