Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) shares are trending on Tuesday night.

Shares of the Californian aerospace manufacturer and launch service provider climbed 1.79% to $67.05 in after-hours trading on Tuesday after Rocket Lab announced its next-generation product for space applications, the Inverted Metamorphic Apex solar cell.

According to the company, the cell delivers a 31.5% Beginning of Life conversion efficiency and 40% lower mass than prior versions, positioning it as best-in-class in specific power, or watts per kilogram.

Why This Tech Upgrade Matters

IMM Apex eliminates germanium substrates used in conventional multi-junction solar cells for three decades, Rocket Lab said. The company added this removes reliance on a critical mineral facing rising costs and supply chain constraints, a potential tailwind for margins.

Rocket Lab said the cell is also a direct replacement for existing hardware. This means customers can adopt it without having to spend heavily on retooling.

Track Record Adds Weight

Rocket Lab’s IMM technology has previously powered NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter and has been used to support satellites in orbit for more than a decade. The company’s solar products are currently used by more than 1,100 satellites, including the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most powerful infrared space observatory ever built.

Brad Clevenger, President of Rocket Lab USA, said, “IMM Apex delivers exceptional performance while addressing real-world challenges like rising material costs and supply chain constraints.”

Last week, Rocket Lab completed its 94th Electron mission, deploying a satellite for Synspective and marking its 15th launch of 2026.

Trading Metrics, Technical Analysis

Rocket Lab has a market capitalization of $39.42 billion, a 52-week high of $151 and a 52-week low of $37.57.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) of RKLB stands at 40.94.

The large-cap space stock has risen 38.01% over the past 12 months but is down 13.32% so far this year.

RKLB is currently trading about 25% of the way up from its annual low.

Price Action: In the regular session, the stock gained 2.51% to close at $65.87, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicates Rocket Lab stock has a negative price trend across all time frames.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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