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Rocket Lab Albuquerque site
Albuquerque, NM. Wafer fab.
Rocket Lab
Albuquerque compound semiconductor capacity expansion
Announced as of Nov 25, 2024
Modernization and expansion of SolAero's Albuquerque compound semiconductor plant making space-grade solar cells, targeting 50% more capacity within three years.
- Investment
- $97.5M
- Jobs
- 100
- Announced
- Jun 11, 2024
- Target
- not stated
- Type
- Wafer fab
- Process or product
- Space-grade compound semiconductor (III-V) solar cells
- Wafer size
- not stated
- CHIPS Act funding
- $23.9M (final award)
Timeline
- Funding
Commerce finalized a CHIPS award of up to $23.9 million for the Albuquerque facility.
Rocket Lab - Funding
Commerce and Rocket Lab (SolAero) signed a preliminary memorandum of terms for CHIPS funding.
NIST
Sources (5)
- Rocket Lab (New Mexico) CHIPS for America award page (last modified 2026-09-10) NIST CHIPS for America, Sep 10, 2026
- Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities Funded by the CHIPS Act: Project Status and Considerations for Congress (R49031) Congressional Research Service, Jul 14, 2026
- Rocket Lab USA Form 8-K on SolAero CHIPS Direct Funding Agreement (agreement dated 2024-11-22) SEC / Rocket Lab USA, Nov 29, 2024
- Rocket Lab Signs $23.9M CHIPS Incentives Award to Boost Semiconductor Manufacturing Rocket Lab, Nov 25, 2024
- CHIPS Incentives Awards finalized for BAE Systems and Rocket Lab (release dated 2024-11-25) NIST, Nov 25, 2024
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Figures are what the company or an agency announced. "Not stated" means no source gives a number for this site. A status is only as current as its "as of" date.