The reusable Neutron is expected to launch larger satellites and, potentially, humans after a scheduled 2024 debut.
will build its next-generation Neutron launcher on Wallops Island, Virginia, at a site adjacent to the company's coastal U.S. launch pad.
"Its position on the eastern seaboard is the ideal location to support both Neutron’s expected frequent launch cadence and the rocket's return-to-Earth capability of landing back at its launch site after liftoff," CEO Peter BeckCalifornia-based Rocket Lab has been sending small satellites aloft for several years now using its Electron rocket, which has launched exclusively from New Zealand to date.
The reusable Neutron will be able to send larger payloads into orbit. The rocket will be particularly useful for lofting satellite megaconstellations, launching interplanetary missions and, potentially, human missions, the company