Rocket Lab USA, Inc. R&D increased by 2.2% to $80.51M in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 46.1%, from $55.11M to $80.51M. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), R&D shows an upward trend with a 59.6% CAGR.
Analysis
StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryGrowth
SignalContext dependent
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ3 2020
Last reportedQ1 2026May 7, 2026
How to read this metric
Higher spending signals a commitment to innovation and future product launches, whereas significant cuts may indicate a shift toward short-term profitability.
Detailed definition
Research and development expenses represent the costs incurred to discover new products, improve existing technologies,...
Peer comparison
Highly comparable across pharmaceutical and medical device peers, where R&D intensity is a key metric for long-term valuation.
Metric ID:
research_and_developmentHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $8.53M | $14.19M | $11.97M | $13.48M | $19.17M | $17.51M | $15.02M | $23.91M | $31.04M | $26.63M | $37.49M | $38.50M | $39.91M | $47.72M | $48.26M | $55.11M | $66.13M | $70.69M | $78.78M | $80.51M |
| QoQ Change | — | +66.4% | -15.7% | +12.6% | +42.2% | -8.6% | -14.2% | +59.2% | +29.8% | -14.2% | +40.8% | +2.7% | +3.7% | +19.6% | +1.1% | +14.2% | +20.0% | +6.9% | +11.4% | +2.2% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +124.7% | +23.4% | +25.5% | +77.4% | +61.9% | +52.1% | +149.6% | +61.1% | +28.6% | +79.2% | +28.7% | +43.1% | +65.7% | +48.1% | +63.3% | +46.1% |
Range$8.53M – $80.51M
CAGR+60.4%
Avg YoY Growth+61.2%
Median YoY Growth+56.6%
Current Streak10 quarters growth
R&D at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Rocket Lab USA, Inc.'s r&d?
- Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (RKLB) reported r&d of $80.51M in Q1 2026.
- How has Rocket Lab USA, Inc.'s r&d changed year-over-year?
- Rocket Lab USA, Inc.'s r&d increased by 46.1% year-over-year, from $55.11M to $80.51M.
- What is the long-term trend for Rocket Lab USA, Inc.'s r&d?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Rocket Lab USA, Inc.'s r&d has grown at a 59.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $41.76M to $270.72M.
- What does r&d mean?
- The money spent on creating new products or improving existing ones to drive future growth.