Rocket Lab, a rocket launch company, announced it has acquired Iridium in a cash and stock deal valued at around $8 billion. The acquisition has been approved by the board of directors and is expected to close by mid-2027.
Iridium offers satellite-based phone and internet services that previously sold its own satellite phones. It previously partnered with Qualcomm to offer satellite internet services via its Snapdragon Satellite modem.
The merger of Rocket Lab and Iridium will create an integrated space company that combines Rocket Lab’s satellite launch and manufacturing capabilities with Iridium’s global L-band communications network with more than 2.55 million active customers.
Rocket Lab is not a household name, but it was awarded a contract by the U.S. Air Force Starlink to develop a cargo-carrying rocket for military needs last year. Under the Rocket Experiment for Global Agile Logistics (REGAL) project, Rocket Lab is competing with SpaceX, Anduril and Blue Origin to provide the ability to deliver military logistics supplies anywhere on Earth within hours.
Your combined company becomes another player in the satellite internet industry looking to compete with Starlink. Two months ago, Amazon acquired satellite internet company Globalstar to bolster its Amazon Leo network.
