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Re:Rocketlab acquires Iridium by espadrine on Monday June 29, 2026 @11:11AM (#48720320)
Iridum gains 23 launches per year with 100% success rate in the past 12 months, a satellite manufacturing pipeline with 6 satellites produced and launched, and a cost-to-orbit of $25K/kg operational (with an in-development design targetting $4K/kg).

They are late compared to SpaceX, to be sure: 150 launches per year, 2400 satellites manufactured per year, $3K/kg operational with F9, target $200/kg in development with Starship.

Re:Rocketlab acquires Iridium by panick21_ on Monday June 29, 2026 @11:36AM (#48720669)
You act as if 'launch' is a thing. All Rocket Lab launches ever combined don't even fill a single SpaceX rocket. Those are not the same thing.

Lets see their reliability when they have a bigger rocket and if they can land reliably. Because their rocket will be quite expensive to build.

Re:Rocketlab acquires Iridium by schainks on Monday June 29, 2026 @11:54AM (#48720929)
I think that’s the point of their niche right? They are already plenty reliable. Also let’s them do stuff like this:

https://rocketlabcorp.com/updates/victus-haze/

Re:Rocketlab acquires Iridium by hgoel on Monday June 29, 2026 @06:46PM (#48726336)
We know from the graveyard of companies that reached orbit with their small rockets and ran out of funding before they got to be reliable, that reliably flying even a small rocket is pretty good.
Re:Rocketlab acquires Iridium by panick21_ on Tuesday June 30, 2026 @04:12AM (#48729824)
I didn't say it wasn't good.
Re:Rocketlab acquires Iridium by kjs3 on Tuesday June 30, 2026 @03:24PM (#48737969)
Gulfstreams don't actually 'fly' because Boeing built the 747. Sure.