Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced it has signed a new launch services agreement with a confidential customer for a HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) mission from Launch Complex 2 at Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in 2024.
The contract signing with a new customer came just days after Rocket Lab successfully launched the first HASTE mission on 17 June 2023 for Leidos under the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed (MACH-TB) program. The mission was Rocket Lab’s third mission from Launch Complex 2 at Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport since the Company began launches from U.S. soil in January this year, demonstrating rapid and reliable launch capability for government and commercial programs.
“After delivering mission success with our HASTE launch in June, we’re delighted to be selected once again to deliver this crucial capability, enabling our customers to accelerate hypersonic innovation,” said Brian Rogers, Senior Director – Global Launch Services, Rocket Lab. “We’re immensely proud to be delivering a vital capability to the nation by increasing the cadence and availability of hypersonic and suborbital flight testing to enable technology maturation.”
Rocket Lab’s HASTE suborbital launch vehicle is derived from the Company’s workhorse Electron rocket – the world’s most frequently launched commercial small launch vehicle. Leveraging Electron’s deep flight heritage, HASTE offers true commercial testing capability on rapid schedules and at a fraction of the cost of current full-scale tests. Tailored specifically for suborbital and hypersonic test flight capability, HASTE has a modified Kick Stage, a larger payload capacity of up to 700 kg / 1,540 lbs, and options for tailored fairings to accommodate larger payloads.
HASTE is operated under Rocket Lab National Security (RLNS), the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary created to serve the unique needs of the U.S. defense and intelligence community and its allies. For more information about HASTE, visit rocketlabusa.com/launch/haste.
- About Rocket Lab
Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle, the Photon satellite platform and the Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for constellation deployment. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered 170 satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft platform has been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia. To learn more, visit www.rocketlabusa.com.
