Rocket Lab Confirms Hypersonic Test for U.S. Military in November Launch

Rocket Lab’s November 24 launch wasn’t just another trip to the skies; it was a cutting-edge hypersonic test for the U.S. military. Now, the company has pulled back the curtain, revealing the mission’s role in advancing next-generation flight technologies.

Secretive Hypersonic Test

Rocket Lab’s suborbital launch on November 24 was conducted from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, Virginia. The mission used HASTE, a suborbital variant of the company’s reliable Electron rocket.

For several weeks, details of the mission remained undisclosed. On December 9, Rocket Lab confirmed that the flight tested hypersonic technologies under the U.S. Department of Defense’s Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed (MACH-TB) programme.

“This mission provided hypersonic test launch capabilities under the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed (MACH-TB) project, which aims to increase hypersonic flight testing for the United States in support of technology maturation,” Rocket Lab officials announced in a statement.

Pushing the Boundaries of Hypersonic Research

Rocket Lab highlighted the innovation involved in this mission.

“Rocket Lab’s test platform showcased a new suite of cutting-edge technologies optimised for hypersonic technology tests with vastly increased payloads,” the company explained.

The company also revealed its expanded role in the mission, which went beyond launching the hypersonic platform.

“Rocket Lab also designed, manufactured, assembled and integrated the experimental hypersonic instrumentation which was launched on this mission, but on a highly accelerated timeline,” the statement added.

Historic Doubleheader for Rocket Lab

The hypersonic mission was a first in more ways than one. Less than 22 hours later, Rocket Lab achieved another milestone, launching five “Internet of Things” satellites for the French company Kinéis using its Electron rocket.

This rapid turnaround marked an unprecedented accomplishment.

Additional Milestones

The November 25 orbital mission, called “Ice AIS Baby,” also set a record. It pushed the total number of satellites deployed by the Electron rocket to 203 across its 54 flights. The Electron has launched 13 missions this year alone.

The HASTE vehicle, which made its debut in June 2023 with a mission dubbed “HASTE A La Vista,” has now completed two launches, both from the MARS pad.