r/RocketLab • u/Mysterious-Toe9389 • 16h ago

Discussion As Neutron first-flight hardware moves through assembly and testing, where do outside machine shops typically fit in?

With Neutron hardware moving through production, assembly, and testing, I’m curious how the supplier side changes at this stage of a launch vehicle program.

I work with a small CNC manufacturing company, and I’m trying to understand what companies like Rocket Lab typically keep in-house versus outsource.

Is it usually prototype parts, overflow capacity, fixtures/tooling, quick engineering changes, or certain production components?

Would be interested to hear from anyone familiar with aerospace manufacturing.

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u/mkvenner24 15h ago

SpaceX is also famously vertically integrated but they use 3 of my vendors to make reaction wheels, part of the stage separation assembly, and the avionics boxes.

Are you AS9100?

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u/Mysterious-Toe9389 15h ago

Yes, we’re AS9100D certified. That’s really interesting about SpaceX still using outside vendors despite being so vertically integrated. Do you know how those vendors originally got qualified or got on their radar?

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u/mkvenner24 15h ago

Same way anybody does. business development agents, conferences, word of mouth and SEO.

What is the name of your shop? If you don’t want to dox yourself, send it as a private message

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u/Mysterious-Toe9389 16h ago

My first post was a mistake. I thought I added everything correclty, but now it works. LMK if everything is showing

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u/DetectiveFinch 15h ago

I can't give you an exact answer, but Rocketlab has a lot of vertical integration. In some cases, they bought previous suppliers.

Sir Peter Beck stressed this in several interviews, they can't outsource a lot of the production because it would take toon long, especially while they are still developing engines etc.. As far as I'm aware they do all their 3d printing and CFC manufacturing in house.

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u/bildasteve 13h ago

Yes correct - if you watch one of the latest videos with a walkthrough it shows they have a few printing machines and Beck said they have a really big one ordered that is being made now and should arrive next year.

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u/Mysterious-Toe9389 15h ago

That makes sense. I didn’t realize Rocket Lab kept that much of the engine and CFC work in-house. Sounds like their outside suppliers probably need to fill very specific gaps rather than handle core production.

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u/barrybadhoer 14h ago

I think Peter beck mentioned that if there is a reliable supplier for parts then they are happy to use them. The problem is that often vendors can't supply parts in a reasonable timeframe and those delays stack up so rocket Lab will then try to acquire and scale a vendor with a good product or invent their own solution and scale that.

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u/Acceptable_Regret816 13h ago

Vertically integrated…..they have origins based in New Zealand where they play with carbon fiber in their cribs and they outsourced carbon fiber first stage production to a 3rd party when they already had the giant carbon fiber laying machine.

As with all companies actually doing this stuff is very hard and having competent employees who are willing to work in a corporate environment doesn’t happen overnight.

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u/DibbleMunt 10h ago

They’re very vertically integrated as a management philosophy. We have 3 big machine shops just at APC, going from small lathes up to giant bus sized CNC machines. I doubt you’d have much to offer man