Rocket Lab Awarded New HASTE Launch Contract for the DOD by Kratos
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:RKLB) ("Rocket Lab" or "the Company"), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced it has been selected by Kratos to launch a full-scale hypersonic test flight for the Department of Defense (DOD) under the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed (MACH-TB) 2.0 program. The mission will launch on Rocket Lab's HASTE rocket from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 on Wallops Island, Virginia no earlier than Q1, 2026.
The launch agreement is the first full-scale flight test to be awarded by Kratos under the MACH-TB 2.0 contract, a $1.45 billion program designed to rapidly expand the number and frequency of opportunities to test hypersonic technologies for the nation. Rocket Lab was selected to join the Kratos-led team of subcontractors for MACH-TB 2.0 in January this year after previously delivering multiple successful hypersonic test launches for the first iteration of the MACH-TB program from 2023. Successful missions to date include three launches for the DOD – including twice within just 21 days – from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 2 in Virginia.
Operating at an unmatched commercial price, capability, and launch cadence, HASTE is uniquely qualified to meet the needs of the MACH-TB mission. A suborbital variant of Electron - the world's most frequently launched small orbital rocket - HASTE includes much of the same innovative technology as Electron, including carbon fiber composite structures and 3D printed rocket engines, but has a modified upper Kick Stage tailored for hypersonic technology tests and a larger payload capacity of up to 700 kg / 1,540 lbs. HASTE can deploy technologies at speeds of more than 7.5km per second to test air-breathing, glide, and ballistic payloads, as well as technologies to re-enter Earth's atmosphere from space. Combined, Rocket Lab's HASTE and Electron launch vehicles have deployed 200+ payloads to date.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, says: "In less than two years since its first launch, HASTE has quickly emerged as a leading commercial test platform of hypersonic systems. With our operational speed and cadence, and the ability to serve multiple mission profiles all in one platform, HASTE is helping to move the needle on hypersonic innovation. I'm confident this will be the first of many new opportunities to serve the nation through the MACH-TB program, and we're proud to be working alongside Kratos to bring this test flight to the launch pad on a rapid timeline."
The mission is the latest to join an increasing manifest of HASTE launches for 2025 and 2026. Upcoming flight tests with HASTE include a mission for the Defense Innovation Unit to deploy a scram-jet powered vehicle at hypersonic speed; continuation of a multi-launch contract with Leidos to deploy five missions in total for the first iteration of the MACH-TB program; and a hypersonic test flight for a confidential customer.
In addition to MACH-TB, HASTE has recently been onboarded to two significant defense initiatives. In the United States, HASTE is now part of the $46 billion Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition Contract (EWAAC) under the United States Air Force. This inclusion enables Rocket Lab to compete to provide launch services and engineering expertise to support the development of new capabilities. In the United Kingdom, HASTE has been added to the Ministry of Defence's (UK MOD) Hypersonic Technologies & Capability Development Framework (HTCDF), a £1 billion (~$1.3 billion) program aimed at rapidly advancing the nation's hypersonic capabilities.
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, a family of flight-proven spacecraft, 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 more than 200 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 spacecraft have 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.
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