Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket hits a snag, launch delayed to 2026
Rocket Lab's big Neutron rocket just ran into trouble—a major tank burst during testing on January 21, a rupture that may further delay Neutron's debut; the mission had already been moved from 2025 to 2026.
Thankfully, no one was hurt and the facility is fine, but it's a setback for their plans.
What happened and what's next?
The tank ruptured while engineers were stress-testing the carbon-composite structure in Maryland.
Rocket Lab says the test was supposed to push limits (not break things), but now they're building a new tank and moving forward.
Meet Neutron: The specs
Neutron stands 43 meters tall with a chunky "Hungry Hippo" fairing.
It can haul up to 13,000kg to low Earth orbit using LOX/methane Archimedes engines—nine on the first stage, one on the second.
Why this matters: Space race vibes
Neutron is Rocket Lab's answer to SpaceX's Falcon 9, aiming for lower-cost, reusable launches.
But the rupture could make catching up harder; as analyst Gautam Khanna put it, if a launch delay results from the tank rupture, even squeezing in two launches in 2026 would be unlikely.