Shares of end-to-end space company Rocket Lab Corp are on watch Wednesday after the company announced the acquisition of high-performance optical systems producer Geost.

What To Know: Rocket Lab signed a definitive agreement to acquire Tuscon, Arizona-based Geost. The company develops and manufactures electro-optical and infrared payloads and is a provider to high-priority national security satellites.

Rocket Lab said the acquisition positions the company as a provider of end-to-end national security space solutions and strengthens its position for achieving the U.S. Department of Defense's goals for resilient, proliferated space architectures, like the proposed Golden Dome architecture and the Space Development Agency's Tracking Layer.

“With the acquisition of Geost, we're bringing advanced electro-optical and infrared payloads in-house to support secure, responsive, and cost-effective systems at scale,” said Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab.

“These technologies enable spacecraft that can detect, interpret, and respond to threats in real time, enhancing our role as a trusted provider of end-to-end space capabilities for the United States and its allies — with greater speed, intelligence, and operational control.”

The $275 million deal includes a mix of $125 million in cash and $150 million in privately placed shares of Rocket Lab common stock.

Rocket Lab will acquire Geost's product assets and manufacturing facilities across Arizona and northern Virginia, as well as intellectual property and product inventory. Rocket Lab will also add 115 employees, bringing its total headcount to over 2,600. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2025.

See Also: Elon Musk’s Mars Ambitions Face New Setback As SpaceX Starship Test Flight Fails

How To Buy RKLB Stock

By now you're likely curious about how to participate in the market for Rocket Lab – be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company.

Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of possible trading platforms here. Many will allow you to buy “fractional shares,” which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share.

If you're looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You'll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to “go short” a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a stock can be found at this resource. Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading – either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline.

RKLB Price Action: Rocket Lab has a 52-week low of $4.15 and a 52-week high of $33.34. The stock has a strong momentum score of 99.29 with shares up about 13% year-to-date, according to Benzinga Pro. 

Rocket Lab shares were up 0.8% at $28.99 at the time of publication Wednesday.

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