Rocket Lab Sold Kepler a Dedicated Neutron Flight. Here's How Many More It Needs to Justify Its Valuation
The company's expanding portfolio of products and services will drive exponential sales growth on more than one front.
Overview
Despite several developmental setbacks pushing its first actual launch back to late this year (at the earliest), space-launch outfit Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) continues working toward getting its medium-lift Neutron rocket off the launch pad, both figuratively and literally. In fact, although Canada's telecom powerhouse Kepler Communications has previously been content to rely on shared launches with other clients, it recently contracted a Neutron launch all to itself.
And this raises a question: What does it cost to rent a largely reusable rocket for the few minutes required to put a medium-sized satellite into low Earth orbit (LEO)? Follow-up question: How many more of these launches does the company need to line up to justify its current market cap of $44 billion?
Details
Rocket Lab is more than just its Neutron rocket, for the record. Its smaller Electron rocket can put up to 660 pounds of payload into low Earth orbit and has done so for more than 260 satellites across 96 launches. The company also offers a range of satellite and space-launch technologies, which is technically its largest profit center at this time.
Source
Originally published at www.fool.com.