WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. — A new reusable rocket with jaws like a cosmic hippo, an innovative booster built by the company Rocket Lab, finally has its first launch pad on the Virginia coast and could make its first flight by the end of the year.

The novel booster, called Neutron, is Rocket Lab's newest and the company's first purpose-built reusable rocket to tap into the medium-size satellite launch market. The first flight is expected by the end of 2025 from the company's new pad, Launch Complex 3, which Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck officially opened for business on Thursday (Aug. 28).

"Today marks an extraordinary milestone, not just for Rocket Lab, but for the future of space access in America," Beck told a crowd of investors, reporters and company officials during a ribbon-cutting ceremony o

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