Launch firm Rocket Lab is shopping for satellite tv for pc operator Iridium, placing it ready to grow to be a extra full-fledged house providers firm, and persevering with a wave of consolidation within the trade.
The deal, which hasn’t but closed, will see Rocket Lab purchase Iridium’s inventory for $54 per share, valuing the satellite tv for pc firm at $8 billion.
That is one in every of a number of acquisitions for Rocket Lab this 12 months. The corporate beforehand bought house robotics firm Motiv in Might, acquired laser communications supplier Mynaric in April, and bought a precision component manufacturer in February. It additionally purchased optical sensor defense contractor Geost final 12 months.
Iridium not solely operates dozens of satellites at present in orbit, however it additionally owns a bundle of helpful spectrum. Rocket Lab mentioned in a press release Monday that it plans to “construct upon” Iridium’s present community with a purpose to “scale into untapped markets and pioneer new space-based providers to the good thing about international prospects.”
Rocket Lab’s announcement comes after years of consolidation amongst house and satellite tv for pc corporations, together with ViaSat buying Inmarsat and a personal fairness agency shopping for Maxar in 2023, and Lockheed Martin purchasing satellite tv for pc producer Terran Orbital in 2024. In April 2026, Amazon — which is constructing a space-based web competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink — bought satellite company Globalstar for $11.6 billion.
