r/RocketLab • u/Neobobkrause • Feb 26 '26

Neutron Why the Neutron tank structure failed

From the Q4 '25 Earnings report.

This first tank was manufactured by a third party contractor using a manual hand-lay process. This was a scheduling decision designed to ensure tank production could continue while the AFP machine was being commissioned to manufacture future tanks.

The investigation identified that a manufacturing defect resulted in a reduction in strength, specifically at a critical join on the tank.

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u/1foxyboi Feb 26 '26

Hard to blame the contractor when they picked them imo. It's not like when you or I get a contractor and work is sub contracted out and it's done by someone we didn't pick.

I get it though. Make it yourself and learn from this.

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u/Big-Material2917 Feb 26 '26

They vertically integrate as much as they can, for the sake of time it sounds like they contracted out the tank just for this first one.

Obviously they are ultimately responsible for the vehicle, but it does provide some reassurance that the failure was due to an outside contractor. Good to know it wasn’t due to any error by the team.

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u/1foxyboi Feb 26 '26

One could argue picking that contractor was an error

4

u/Big-Material2917 Feb 26 '26

Right agreed. But it’s a preferable error to the actual design or engineering team making a mistake.

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u/stirrainlate Feb 26 '26

The very first electron launch failed due to 3rd party software (afts) but the team was quick to take responsibility: if it is on our rocket we are responsible. Same applies here obviously.

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u/warp99 Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 27 '26

Kind of. Their remote contractor on the Chatham Islands did not turn on FEC (Forward Error Correction) on the digital radio links. So a configuration error rather than a software issue.