Rocket Lab's in-development 'Neutron' rocket, during stage 2 tank testing. Photo: Supplied/ Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab, which launches from Mahia and from the US, has won into a Pentagon contract, with up to $NZ10 billion to spread around.
It becomes one of five launch companies that get to compete for missions under the National Security Space Launch, or NSSL, programme.
NSSL puts up the United States' most valuable military and spy satellites, with 30 launches due by 2029.
The New Zealand origin-US listed company gets an initial $9m to work on it.
It aims to use the Neutron, a new mid-sized rocket due for its first launch later this year, which can carry larger payloads than its workhorse Electron rocket.
Rocket Lab said supporting access to space for America's most important missions had always been the goal with the Neutron.
Rocket Lab founder Sir Peter Beck, with the in-development 'Neutron' rocket. Photo: Supplied/ Rocket Lab
"We're incredibly proud to [be] selected by the US Space Force to demonstrate this commitment for the NSSL," said Rocket Lab founder and chief executive Sir Peter Beck.
"We can't wait to showcase Neutron as the important platform it will become for the Department of Defence."
Its selection is in a "Lane 1" track for commercial-like, lower-risk missions, to "bring in new partners to increase capacity, resiliency, and speed", the US Space Force said.
The American Enterprise Institute said, "It's essentially the Space Force giving these companies the opportunity to bring their A-game.
"The government isn't giving them a lot of money or anything. They're just letting them put their foot in the door, is all."
Three years ago, Rocket Lab USA created a subsidiary, Rocket Lab National Security, to do launches and build space systems for the US government and its allies.
It has won into the NSSL alongside Stoke Space, and last year's winners, Blue Origin owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk's SpaceX and ULA or United Launch Alliance, that was founded by huge defence contractors Boeing and Lockheed and has already done 100 national security space missions.
SpaceX has been dominating a market that ULA used to.
Stoke has never done a launch. Rocket Lab has done about 60 with Electron.
The companies have to prove themselves in design and production of launch systems to get certification. So far only SpaceX and ULA have been certified.
Artwork showing a concept of Rocket Lab's 'Neutron' rocket, in flight. Photo: Supplied/ Rocket Lab
The Pentagon recently reinforced its strategy to use commercial space companies a lot more for military missions.
As part of that, it has set up a new "space reserve" of companies that sign contracts to agree they can be specially called on in time of war.
The first four companies have just signed on.
Space Force would not name them - signing up "potentially puts a target on their back", it said.
