Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) 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 of 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 as much as 700 kg / 1,540 lbs. HASTE can deploy technologies at speeds of more than 7.5 km 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.
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 (DIU) 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.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, said, “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.”