bottleneckScore 75/100Research
Rocket Lab vertically integrated reaction wheels after 9-month lead-time bottleneck; now makes 2,000+/year
“Doug said, 'That's great, Pete. That'll be nine months.' ... So we just went and bought Doug. Now we make over 2,000 reaction wheels a year.”
Why it matters
Space-qualified component lead times are a real industry bottleneck; Rocket Lab's in-house reaction wheel capacity (2,000+/yr) makes it a potential supplier to the broader smallsat industry, not just a consumer.
Investment implication
Position's RKLB's Space Systems segment as a picks-and-shovels supplier to other satellite makers; watch for growth in component sales revenue beyond internal Electron/Neutron needs.