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Rocket Lab has landed a major boost to its hypersonic credentials, securing a $190 million ($290 million) deal to carry out 20 high-speed test launches for the United States military.
Rocket Lab announced the agreement for a series of missions using its HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) vehicle, marking the largest single launch contract in the company’s history. HASTE was used earlier this month to launch a successful test flight of the Hypersonix DART AE aircraft.
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The deal forms part of the US military’s MACH-TB 2.0 program, an initiative led by the Test Resource Management Center in partnership with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, aimed at accelerating the development and testing of next-generation hypersonic technologies.
Under the four-year agreement, Rocket Lab will conduct 20 hypersonic test flights, with the first launch expected within months. The rapid turnaround highlights the company’s growing reputation for responsive launch services in an increasingly competitive defence environment.
At the centre of the deal is the HASTE rocket, a modified version of Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle designed specifically for suborbital hypersonic testing. Capable of exceeding speeds of Mach 5, HASTE has already completed multiple successful missions since 2023, supporting efforts to test advanced weapons, sensors and aerospace systems.
The latest contract builds on that track record, with Rocket Lab maintaining a 100 per cent success rate across its HASTE launches to date, an important factor as defence agencies seek reliable, repeatable testing at pace.
Founder and chief executive Peter Beck said the agreement reinforces the company’s role in supporting US national security priorities.
He said Rocket Lab’s ability to deliver frequent launches, combined with scalable production of its hypersonic vehicles, was helping government and industry partners fast-track development of critical technologies.
The MACH-TB 2.0 program itself is being delivered under the leadership of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, which is co-ordinating a range of industry partners to expand hypersonic test capacity.
The new missions add to Rocket Lab’s rapidly growing launch pipeline, which now has more than 70 launches on its books. The company has already sold 28 launches in the first quarter of 2026 alone, nearly matching its total for the whole of 2025.
That surge in demand reflects the increasing importance of responsive, small-launch capabilities across commercial, civil and defence sectors, with Rocket Lab positioning its Electron rocket as a go-to platform for both orbital and hypersonic missions.
The deal also underscores the strategic importance of hypersonic technology, which is widely seen as a key enabler of future military capability, offering unprecedented speed, manoeuvrability and survivability in contested environments.
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