About the Rocket Lab x Raytheon Partnership
https://reddit.com/link/1t5qq3j/video/toibl03i0lzg1/player
TL;DR: The Pentagon is planning a massive 200-satellite "attack/interceptor" network.
SpaceX is reportedly backing out of the weaponized side of this.
Meanwhile, Rocket Lab has formed a strategic partnership with Raytheon for
Space-Based Interceptors, and their leadership dropped some thinly-veiled hints in an interview 1 year ago(!) about highly classified ("black") constellation programs of exactly that size.
Ok so here is what we know:
Raytheon, partnering with Rocket Lab, has been selected to demonstrate advanced capabilities for the United States Space Force’s Space Based Interceptor program.
The program is an important step in strengthening national missile defense capabilities.
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On January 27,2025,Executive Order (EO) 14186was published stating:
“The threat of attack by ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, and other advanced aerial attacks, remains the most catastrophic threat facing the United States.”
To address this threat, as directed by the Deputy Secretary of War, in coordination with the Golden Dome of America (GDA) Direct Reporting Program Manager (DRPM), the United States Space Force (USSF) established the Space-Based Interceptor (SBI) program, which is tasked to develop a space-based missile defense interceptor system that will demonstrate capability integrated into the Golden Dome of America (GDA) architecture by 2028.
Back in Aug 29, 2025, Richard French, Vice President - Business Development and Strategy, Space Systems for Rocket Lab, had an interview (video above)
The hosts ask about how scalable their satellite bus manufacturing actually is, specifically throwing out the number "200" and asking if they could sell 200 tomorrow.
Richard French immediately states they could do that, for customers needing spacecraft for "dynamic space operations" targeting things in the upper atmosphere and that something like that might or might not be discussed at this very moment back then in august 2025!
He then says these capabilities "might be described by a color."
In the defense world, a program described by a color is a euphemism for a "Black Program" (highly classified/top secret).
The interviewers immediately start laughing and smiling. It's a clear "wink and nod" moment.
He goes on to emphasize their "constellation class manufacturing" and how their assembly line is built to "Kaizen" the problem at every stage, aka "Kaizen a problem" means applying the Japanese philosophy of continuous, incremental improvement to solve inefficiencies, defects, or waste within a process, allowing them to pump out these units rapidly.
back then this was posted on sam .gov
"Geosynchronous Reconnaissance & Surveillance Constellation (RG-XX) Industry Day"
https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/88d72b7181d340cbb206017b3be82e0e/view
which now is inactive, but this pic below is the important part
so the interviewers were very aware of this program, which me personally had no idea, so that whole thing went over my head,
the other important part of course is, Space-X is stepping away from the kinetic/interceptor side creates a massive, multi-billion-dollar vacuum.
The DOD needs a manufacturer with constellation-class scaling capabilities to fill that void.
enter Raytheon!
Pentagon wants to build a tracking constellation, but the crucial detail is the separate fleet of 200 attack satellites armed to bring down enemy missiles.
In the public announcement, Raytheon confirmed they have been selected to demonstrate advanced capabilities for the US Space Force's Space Based Interceptor program.
Rocket Lab is building that shit it seems, sorry my presentation is not very good, these things basically evolved in this there were bids/and ideas for other things, obviously real details were kept secret from us, like there was this:
Space Force to select multiple companies for new geostationary satellite surveillance network
https://spacenews.com/space-force-to-select-multiple-companies-for-new-geostationary-satellite-surveillance-network/
like who know what happened with this...
anyways
You can re-watch the entire video interview on youtube here:
Posted May 6, 2026, 9:36 PM UTC