Rocket Lab opens Launch Complex 3 for Neutron rocket debut
Fourth launch site constructed in under two years will be exclusively used for Rocket Lab’s upcoming medium-lift composite rocket Neutron.
Source | Rocket Lab
On Aug. 28, (Long Beach, Calif., U.S.) celebrated the official opening of Launch Complex 3, the company’s dedicated test, launch and landing facility for its reusable rocket Neutron.
Located within the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s (VSA) Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at Pad 0D on Wallops Island, Virginia, Launch Complex 3 stands ready to deliver what is said will be the largest orbital launch capacity in the Spaceport’s history with Neutron.
“Our Neutron rocket, with its ability for responsive space access as a high cadence reusable launch vehicle, expands Virginia’s aerospace capabilities to enable the U.S. to quickly and reliably reach the International Space Station and low Earth orbit [LEO], as well as explore beyond Earth and on to the Moon and Mars,” says Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder.
Construction on Launch Complex 3 began in late 2023, with the site operational and officially opened in August 2025. More than 60 contractors were involved in the site’s development to supply services, hardware and materials — many of them Virginia-based local workers and companies.
Domestically sourced infrastructure designed, tested and operated by Rocket Lab includes:
- The site’s 9-meter-tall launch mount containing 700+ tons of steel, operated by hydraulic mechanisms that support, hold and subsequently release Neutron for testing and launch operations.
- Launch equipment vaults housing electrical and controls equipment needed to operate the site’s ground systems and launch vehicle.
- A 200,000+ gallon capacity water supply tower.
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180,000 gallon LOX and LNG propellant farms that store and load Neutron with fuel and oxidizer for test and launch operations, alongside 45,000 gallons of stored liquid nitrogen in three vertical tanks.
Launch Complex 3 is Rocket Lab’s fourth launch site. Its completed construction in less than 2 years is the latest demonstration of the company’s speed and expertise at delivering launch facilities globally. Launch Complex 3 is located directly next to Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2, the company’s exclusive-use orbital launch pad for its Electron launch vehicle.
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