Rocket Lab Shares Slip as Space Force Contract Fails to Halt Selloff

Rocket Lab Corp. (NASDAQ: RKLB ) shares are trading lower by more than 9% on Tuesday as traders digest its biggest launch contract news against a risk-off tape.

Here’s what investors need to know.

Rocket Lab stock is taking a hit today.

What’s pressuring RKLB stock? What Is Rocket Lab’s $266 Million Space Force Contract? Rocket Lab was awarded a $266 million U.S.

Space Force contract for 12 suborbital launches, with missions expected to start no earlier than the end of 2026.

Work is slated for the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska and is expected to run through Dec.

31, 2028.

The award structure also includes options for six additional HASTE missions (up to 18 total), which keeps the headline number from being the full ceiling on potential launch volume.

That optionality matters because it ties incremental upside to follow-on missile-defense testing demand rather than a one-and-done program.

Rocket Lab Stock: Key Levels To Watch From a trend perspective, the stock is trading 20.1% below its 20-day SMA ($77.98) and 19.9% below its 200-day SMA ($77.81), which keeps the near-term chart tilted bearish even after a strong 12-month gain of 36.82%.

It’s also 38.1% below the 50-day SMA ($100.62), a sign the recent downswing has been sharp enough to break intermediate momentum.

MACD is the cleaner momentum lens right now: it’s below its signal line and the histogram is negative, which points to upside pressure fading versus the prior upswing unless buyers can reclaim that baseline.

In plain terms, MACD compares two moving averages, and when it sits below the signal line it often means rallies are having a harder time "sticking." Key turning points help frame the bigger picture: the stock logged a swing high and its 52-week high in May ($151.00), then later printed a swing low in July, and it previously broke below support in December 2025.

That sequence fits the current setup—longer-term uptrend history, but a shorter-term reset that’s still working through overhead supply.

Key Resistance: $67.50 — a nearby pivot area where rebounds can stall, sitting just above the current price zone Key Support: $56.00 — a nearby level where buyers previously stepped in, offering a reference point if the selloff extends Rocket Lab Stock Price Activity Today RKLB Stock Price Activity: Rocket Lab shares were trading 9.55% lower at $60.55 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Pro data.

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