Rocket Lab boosts US semiconductor and space investments
US-based Rocket Lab Corporation plans to expand its domestic investments to increase semiconductor manufacturing capacity and secure the supply chain for space-grade solar cells and electro-optical sensors used in national security space missions.
The investments will be supported by a USD 23.9 million award from the US Department of Commerce, funded under the CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to reinforce US leadership in space-grade semiconductor technology.
Over the next five years, Rocket Lab expects the investments to nearly double production of compound semiconductors and space-grade solar cells, increasing output from 20,000 to almost 35,000 wafers per month. The company said this expansion will provide domestic spacecraft manufacturers and the broader aerospace industry with access to domestically produced, advanced semiconductor and electro-optical technologies, while also enhancing its ability to deliver integrated spacecraft systems for national security missions.
The initiative builds on Rocket Lab’s existing US expansion, including its USD 275 million acquisition of Geost, an electro-optical payload provider with operations in Tucson, Arizona, and northern Virginia. Together, these investments aim to strengthen the US semiconductor industrial base, support industry innovation, and create new economic opportunities.
As a result, Rocket Lab plans to expand its U.S.-based workforce to more than 2,000 employees across California, Colorado, Maryland, New Mexico, Mississippi, Arizona, and northern Virginia.
