Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) shares advanced on Friday after the aerospace manufacturer announced a new partnership with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, for two dedicated Electron rocket launches.
The deal highlights the growing role of Rocket Lab’s small-launch platform in supporting international agencies seeking fast and reliable access to orbit.
The company said the two missions will launch from its New Zealand site, Launch Complex 1, as part of JAXA’s Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program.
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The first mission, slated for December 2025, will carry the RAISE-4 spacecraft, which will demonstrate eight technologies developed by Japanese universities, private firms, and research institutions.
The second flight, scheduled for 2026, will serve as a multi-payload rideshare that includes educational satellites, an ocean-monitoring satellite, and a deployable antenna that unfolds from a compact origami design to 25 times its stored size.
“It’s an incredible honor to be entrusted by JAXA to further their goals of innovation and development for Japan,” said Sir Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab.
He emphasized Electron’s growing importance to global space initiatives, noting that Japanese operators have consistently turned to the company for missions requiring precision deployment and rapid turnaround capabilities.
Beck added that these upcoming missions reinforce Rocket Lab’s reputation for responsiveness and reliability, especially as demand for commercial and government satellite launches accelerates.
Rocket Lab has steadily become a key launch provider for Japan’s emerging space ecosystem.
The company has more than 20 Electron launches booked through the decade’s end, including constellation deployments for operators such as iQPS and Synspective.
Price Action: RKLB shares are trading higher by 8.56% to $71.97 at last check on Friday.
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