Half a decade ago — prior to its initial public offering A small company that builds rockets and competes with SpaceX. Rocket Lab USA ( RKLB 12.58% ) needed to make a statement.
Rocket Lab, despite its name, was predominantly a New Zealand-based company back then. The founder resided in New Zealand, and the company carried out its rocket launches from there. from In addition, its sole launch site was situated in that location. Following its 10th rocket launch success, Rocket Lab was eager to rival the most renowned rocket company in the United States. SpaceX , in an attempt to secure additional launch contracts from American clients.
It would be challenging, no doubt, as SpaceX had a strategic edge by being located in close proximity to both U.S. government and commercial clients, enabling them to reduce costs associated with transporting payloads for integration and launch.
In order to compete with SpaceX, Rocket Lab may struggle to persuade American customers to move to New Zealand. As a result, Rocket Lab has opted to construct a launch site on American soil. in Wallops Island, Virginia .
However, it seems that another party is also capable of engaging in that activity. As recently discovered, SpaceX is considering the possibility of entering into that field. Rocket Lab’s backyard, too.
Hello space buddy!
According to a recent report by Reuters, SpaceX has requested authorization to conduct a Starship rocket landing near the Australian coastline, potentially marking the initial phase of expanding Elon Musk’s company’s operations in that area.
After the successful fourth test flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster in June, which included a “water landing” in the Indian Ocean northwest of Australia, SpaceX is now likely requesting permission for another test flight following a similar trajectory to Test Flight 4. This decision aims to reduce variables between tests and improve accuracy. The plan would involve landing near Australia on a landing barge, transporting the rocket to Australia for inspection, and potentially shipping it back to America.
According to Reuters, the proposal could potentially be an initial move in establishing a direct transportation system using Starship for quick delivery of goods and travelers worldwide. Typically, rockets are viewed as traveling in a different manner. from Earth to In a place that is not Earth. However, with the advancement of reusable rockets that take off and land on Earth, there is no practical reason why they couldn’t be employed for transporting between different locations. similar to how airplanes already operate Elon Musk has actually been considering a plan like this for some time. almost ten years By now, in the year 2021, The plan received support from the U.S. Air Force. starting with a budget of $47.9 million for a study to determine feasibility.
But I think Musk’s plans This could potentially be even larger in size.
Is Starbase going to expand internationally?
At present, SpaceX’s Starship launches predominantly take place at SpaceX’s facility in Boca Chica, Texas, known as “Starbase.” However, there is speculation that SpaceX may have an interest in establishing a spaceport in Australia for launching and recovering rockets, and potentially constructing Starships on-site. Rocket Lab’s achievements have highlighted that Australia, or potentially its nearby smaller country, could serve as an advantageous location for rocket launches due to its expansive eastern ocean, providing a safe area for any rockets that do not launch successfully.
Similarly, SpaceX may have a strong interest in establishing an Australian Starbase on the opposite side of the world to cater to customers in Asia, just as Rocket Lab is considering setting up in the U.S. to be near American clients and cut down on transportation expenses.
The implications of this for investors in Rocket Lab
It is safe to say that this news may not be favorable for Rocket Lab, as their primary client for launches is located in Asia. Japan, more specifically ), and who may not enjoy additional contest In the Asian region, Rocket Lab faces competition from ISRO in India, which is known for offering launch services at a significantly lower cost compared to Rocket Lab. ISRO charges only three or four times the price of Rocket Lab for launching payloads that are ten times larger.
However, the positive aspect is that Rocket Lab is working on creating a reusable Neutron rocket to rival Starship. The Neutron rocket can carry more payload than ISRO’s PSLV rocket. This means that when SpaceX eventually sets up a launch facility in Australia, there will at least be some competition.
