Neutron Hungry Hippo fairing completes qualification ahead of first launch

Rocket Lab Corporation has qualified the captive Hungry Hippo fairing for its Neutron launch vehicle and is sending the structure to Virginia for integration ahead of the rocket's debut mission. The fairing halves remain attached to Neutron's first stage from liftoff through landing, rather than separating and being discarded or recovered at sea. In flight, the halves open to release the second stage and payload, then close again so the combined first stage and fairing can return to Earth as a single reusable element designed to support high-cadence missions for commercial, civil, and national security customers.

Neutron is described as a large carbon composite launch vehicle with a planned lift capacity of up to

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