That included a contract announced that day to launch satellites for Kepler Communications on a Neutron no earlier than 2028. A slip in the first Neutron launch to 2027 would be the latest in a series of delays for the vehicle. Rocket Lab announced Neutron in 2021 with a goal of performing the vehicle’s first launch in 2024. The company said in a February earnings call that it was projecting a first Neutron launch in late 2026. That interest is linked to high demand for launch and a scarcity of other launch options.