Rocket Lab (RKLB) Q2 Earnings & Iridium Deal Explained

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) just posted record second quarter 2026 results $234 million in quarterly revenue, up 62% year-over-year, and a total backlog of $2.36 billion. Simon Erickson walks through the investor slide deck covering Launch, Space Systems, and the new Space Applications division, then digs into the biggest news of the quarter: Rocket Lab's $8 billion acquisition of Iridium Communications (NASDAQ: IRDM) and its satellite spectrum. Simon also previews how these developments feed into Rocket Lab's discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation model, and what it could mean for the stock price going forward.🔗 Free 7investing trial: https://7investing.com/subscribeThis is 7investing Live, streaming every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10 AM ET, covering earnings breakdowns, DCF valuations, and stock analysis on companies like Rocket Lab, Upstart, and The Trade Desk.Stocks MentionedPublicly Traded:Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB)Iridium Communications (NASDAQ:IRDM)Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN)Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE) Upstart Holdings (NASDAQ:UPST)The Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD)Chapters0:00 Welcome to 7investing Live0:42 Today's Topic: Rocket Lab (RKLB) Q2 Earnings3:03 Record Backlog & the Iridium Acquisition5:24 Why Rocket Lab Acquired Iridium7:40 New Space Systems Contracts (Space Force, Victus Haze)10:04 Neutron Rocket & Commercial Contracts11:45 Building the Rocket Lab DCF Valuation Model14:33 Backlog Growth: $2.3B Now, $5B+ by 202716:50 Iridium's Revenue & Accelerated Space Applications Timeline18:24 What This Means for Retail Investors19:04 Good vs. Bad Acquisitions: Lessons from AOL and HP19:55 Wrap-Up & What's Next (Full DCF, Upstart, Trade Desk)#7investing #SimonErickson #RocketLab #RKLBStock #Iridium #SpaceStocks #StockMarket #EarningsReview #DCFValuation #InvestingTips⚠️ This is not investing advice. Please do your own research before making any investment decisions.