Better known for building and flying lightweight small and medium orbital launchers, Rocket Lab is branching out. The company has announced the successful full launch of its Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) launch vehicle, which is designed to boost hypersonic vehicles well past Mach 5.
Lifting off at 9:24 pm on June 17, 2023, the launch of the HASTE was not only the first flight of the new rocket that is derived from Rocket Lab's Electron booster, it is also the company's first launch from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia. The suborbital mission carried an undisclosed payload for what Rocket Lab called a "confidential customer."
Constructed of the same carbon composite hull and 3D-printed Rutherford engine as the Electron, the liquid-fueled HASTE is modified with a maneuverable third stage to deploy the hypersonic payload of up to 700 kg (1,540 lb), which separates at an altitude of 80 km (50 miles) and at speeds up to Mach 22. Potential payloads include air-breathing, ballistic re-entry, boost-glide hypersonic vehicles as well as space-based payloads.
Now entering regular service, HASTE is operated by Rocket Lab's Rocket Lab National Security (RLNS) subsidiary that has the US defense and intelligence community and its allies as its primary customers.
"The success of this mission demonstrates collaboration across government and industry partners to change the paradigm in hypersonic testing," said Brian Rogers, Senior Director – Global Launch Services. "HASTE enables the frequent, affordable flight testing needed to advance the nation’s hypersonic technology development, and we’re proud to be delivering this vital capability. We thank our mission partners for entrusting us with this inaugural mission and look forward to continuing our partnership into the future."
Source: Rocket Labs