Rocket Lab Acquires Iridium for $8 Billion, Targeting SpaceX Starlink with L-Band Spectrum

Rocket Lab Iridium acquisition locks in $8 billion deal giving the launch company 2.55 million subscribers, globally harmonized L-band spectrum, and a direct path into satellite IoT, direct-to-device, and alternative GPS services Starlink's Ka-band frequencies cannot match — making Rocket Lab the most credible vertically integrated challenger SpaceX has faced.