Rocket Lab\u2019s ambitious push to launch its Neutron medium-lift rocket before the end of the year is entering the home stretch, with CEO Sir Peter Beck telling NSF that his team is \u201cliterally sleeping in the factories\u201d to meet the aggressive timeline. \u201cWe\u2019ll be there on the last day of December until the last hour trying to get a launch away,\u201d Beck said in a recent interview. \u201cWe run green light schedules, meaning there is no fat in everything. Nobody\u2019s waving the white flag yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 141-foot-tall reusable launch vehicle has passed several critical milestones in recent months. In April, Rocket Lab qualified Neutron\u2019s carbon composite second stage by applying 1.3 million pounds of tensile force \u2014 125% of its maximum operating pressure \u2014 while testing flight software, avionics, and guidance systems under cryogenic conditions. The first stage top section, including the distinctive \u201cHungry Hippo\u201d reusable fairings and aerodynamic canards, completed qualification in May.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n