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Rocket Lab is waiting until Neutron is more technically mature before signing launching contracts with customers , CEO Peter Beck told investor on Wednesday .
The statements allow for an inner look on how the space company is thinking about bringing the Neutron next - gen launch vehicle to market – and the lessons learned from sell its first rocket , Electron .
“ Until a fomite is proven and flying , any launching declaration that you may sign is basically wretched , ” Beck said during a third quarter pay call . “ We can go and sign a launching contract tomorrow with a number of customers , but it will be like , some thousand dollars down and cancellable anytime . But that really does n’t intend anything . ”
Rocket Lab had to offer “ really low introductory pricing ” with its Electron vehicle when it was unproven , prior to its first commercial flying in 2018 .
“ We carried some of that introductory pricing on for class [ … ] For class , we had some really uncollectible delegation , ” Beck add . “ I just do n’t want to go down that route again . [ … ] I would much rather get to the market with something that figure out , that commands a agiotage , then fill my manifest up with a whole clustering of low - value launches now . ”
His statements were in response to a doubt pose by Citi ’s equity enquiry analyst Jason Gursky , who asked about the demand outlook for Neutron and when the company expects getting its first ordering .
Beck said they ’ll have Neutron “ on the pad ” by the end of 2024 – a small more than a year away . In terms of demand , he did say that the potential client Rocket Lab is in conversation with do n’t want just one or two launches , but a large batch to establish their constellations . The hazard of signing too early with these client is if their satellites are delayed , there ’s a massive committed manifest that ca n’t vaporize .
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“ That ’s not a happy situation either . ”
