RKLB Stock Slips After $700M NASA Snub: Cathie Wood Buys The Dip As Retail Blames Neutron Delays
Rocket Lab shares declined following NASA's decision to award a $700 million Mars communications contract to Blue Origin. Despite the setback, ARK Investment Management increased its stake in the company as investors remain concerned about potential delays to the Neutron rocket.
Why it matters
The contract loss highlights the intensifying competition in the commercial space sector and the high stakes for Rocket Lab's future growth and hardware development.
NASA selected Blue Origin to build, launch and operate the Mars Telecommunications Network, with the orbiter due by Dec.31, 2028. Cathie Wood’s ARK Investment Management bought 504,799 RKLB shares across three ETFs on Tuesday. Neutron’s narrowing 2026 launch window returned to focus following the award. Shares of Rocket Lab (RKLB) slid 2% overnight late Tuesday after NASA awarded Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin a Mars communications contract worth up to $700 million, adding to retail traders’ tension over recent executive stock sales and whether delays to the company’s Neutron rocket hurt its chances. RKLB stock fell 2% on Tuesday, marking its second straight loss and its ninth decline in the past 10 sessions.
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