Rocket Lab appears to be planning the June 11 launch of its hypersonic HASTE spacecraft on a secretive government mission known as 'Curveball.'

Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced today its inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 Index. This milestone places Rocket Lab among the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) has just under five years of public trading history. Peter Beck’s small-launch pioneer went public via SPAC merger in August 2021, well short of a full decade. That five-year window happens to capture one of the more dramatic transformations in the aerospace sector.

SpaceX's IPO could provide a boost to competitors like Rocket Lab, Clear Street analyst Greg Pendy believes. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is completely booked out for the rest of 2026, creating a tight launch market and leaving satellite operators scrambling.

Shares of Virgin Galactic (NYSE:SPCE) are down 24% in early Friday trading, while Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB | RKLB Price Prediction) stock is down 8% and AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) stock is trading 10% lower.

Taiwan Semiconductor and Dycom are near their 10-week moving averages along with Rocket Lab on Thursday.

RKLB increases launch activity and mission execution as growing satellite deployment demand boosts the need for reliable space access.