Rocket Lab Buys Iridium for $8B | San Jose News

San Jose News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jun 30, 2026 · 2m

Rocket Lab just dropped a billion-dollar bombshell—buying Iridium for $8 billion—to leap into the direct-to-device satellite market, putting them on equal footing with SpaceX and Amazon. Led by the humble-but-huge Peter Beck, this isn’t just another rocket launch—it’s a strategic pivot to merge launch power with Iridium’s global network and spectrum, turning Rocket Lab into a full-service space player. Beck, who built his company from a Kiwi garage with a mission to democratize space access, is now quietly assembling a powerhouse to challenge giants. Iridium, once bankrupt but now a backbone…