Aerospace firm Rocket Lab (RKLB) announced that it delivered two Explorer-class spacecraft to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) mission. The spacecraft, which was built in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory, will undergo inspections and tests before being fueled and prepared for launch. Notably, EscaPADE will use two spacecraft, named Blue and Gold, to orbit Mars and study how the planet’s magnetosphere and atmosphere interact.
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The mission’s goal is to learn more about how Mars lost most of its atmosphere, which is key to understanding its history and climate. Interestingly, Rocket Lab highlighted that finishing the design, construction, and testing of the spacecraft in only three and a half years is unusually quick for a Mars mission. Indeed, the company credited this accomplishment to its ability to build critical parts entirely in-house.
Nevertheless, the two spacecraft will travel together for 22 months on their way to Mars before splitting into different orbits around the planet. This will allow them to gather data from separate parts of the magnetosphere at the same time in order to give scientists a more complete picture. Notably, CEO Peter Beck described EscaPADE as a perfect example of Rocket Lab’s goal to make space science faster and more affordable. He also said that the company is already planning future projects, such as a Mars Telecommunications Orbiter, which could support more complex missions in the future.
Is RKLB Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
Overall, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on RKLB stock based on nine Buys, four Holds, and zero Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average RKLB price target of $49.27 per share implies 3.1% downside risk.
