Rocket Lab adds to its national security capabilities with the acquisition of Geost

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) announced on Tuesday that it is acquiring Geost from ATL Partners’ Lightridge Solutions for $275 million in a mix of $125 million of cash and $150 million in privately placed shares of Rocket Lab common stock, plus up to $50 million in potential additional cash earnout payments tied to revenue targets.

Geost was described as a Tucson, Arizona-based electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) payload development and manufacturing company and provider of high-priority national security satellites. With more than 20 years of flight heritage across classified and unclassified missions, Geost was highlighted as delivering advanced EO/IR sensor systems for missile warning and tracking, tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, Earth observation, and space domain awareness—core capabilities for achieving the U.S. Department of Defense’s goals for resilient, proliferated space architectures, like the proposed Golden Dome architecture and the Space Development Agency’s Tracking Layer.

The acquisition marks Rocket Lab’s (NASDAQ:RKLB) formal entry into the satellite payload segment, strengthening the company’s position as a provider of end-to-end national security space solutions. Notably, the acquisition adds Optical Systems as a new category within Rocket Lab’s (NASDAQ:RKLB) deep portfolio of capabilities, cementing the company’s role as a disruptor in the national security space.

The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2025.

Rocket Lab (RKBL) CEO Peter Beck: “With the acquisition of Geost, we’re bringing advanced electro-optical and infrared payloads in-house to support secure, responsive, and cost-effective systems at scale. These technologies enable spacecraft that can detect, interpret, and respond to threats in real time, enhancing our role as a trusted provider of end-to-end space capabilities for the United States and its allies—with greater speed, intelligence, and operational control.”