TechCrunch Industry News Rocket Lab eyes big defense opportunities with new acquisition, plus Openvibe combines news and social media in one app
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Aug 11, 2025 Rocket Lab is making waves with its strategic move into defense, aiming for lucrative government contracts and expanding its space systems. They discuss their recent acquisition of a company specializing in optical payloads and the launch of the Neutron rocket. Meanwhile, Openvibe has upgraded its app to support RSS, allowing users to consolidate social media and news in one seamless platform. The conversation highlights innovations that are shaping the future of space and social media.
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Space Systems Drive Revenue
- Rocket Lab's space systems made $97.9M of $144.5M in Q2 revenue, showing launch is no longer the main driver.
- The company posted its highest quarterly revenue, up 36% year-over-year.
Buying Geost Builds Optical Unit
- Rocket Lab is buying Geost for $275M to create an Optical Systems unit scaling EO/IR sensors.
- Those sensors target missile warning, tracking, and space domain awareness.
Pivot Toward Big Defense Programs
- Rocket Lab plans to bid for multi‑billion DoD programs like Golden Dome and uses M&A to strengthen bids.
- It already won a $515M 18‑satellite build contract for missile tracking.