Rocket Lab tapped for major defense contracts to advance hypersonic testing

Rocket Lab tapped for major defense contracts to advance hypersonic testing
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 15, 2025

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a prominent player in global launch services and space systems, has been selected to participate in expansive defense initiatives by both the United States and United Kingdom to support the advancement of hypersonic technologies using its HASTE launch vehicle and engineering capabilities.

The U.S. Air Force has brought Rocket Lab onboard its $46 billion Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition Contract (EWAAC), an indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity (IDIQ) arrangement intended to streamline access to innovative technologies and services. Structured for flexibility in funding and application, EWAAC runs through 2031 and enables rapid procurement of technical solutions across domains.

Simultaneously, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence has included Rocket Lab in its Hypersonic Technologies and Capability Development Framework (HTCDF), a program valued at approximately $1.3 billion (\xa31 billion). Through this framework, Rocket Lab is now eligible to compete for contracts that will support the UK's pursuit of sovereign hypersonic technology.

Rocket Lab plans to offer a suite of services under both frameworks, including use of its Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) vehicle. HASTE is a suborbital derivative of the Electron rocket and shares many core features, such as carbon composite construction and 3D-printed Rutherford engines. However, it includes a modified Kick Stage and is optimized for hypersonic test applications, with a payload capacity of up to 700 kg (1,540 lbs). Capable of delivering payloads at speeds exceeding 7.5 km per second, HASTE supports testing of high-speed air-breathing systems, gliders, ballistic vehicles, and reentry technologies.

To date, Rocket Lab has completed three HASTE missions for the U.S. Department of Defense, including two launches within a span of just 21 days. These missions were conducted from Launch Complex 2 at Wallops Island, Virginia. Combined with its broader operations, Rocket Lab has launched over 200 payloads from its sites in the United States and New Zealand.

Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO, remarked: "The ability to contribute toward the collective security of the United States and the United Kingdom across both of these important programs is a proud moment for the HASTE team, and a demonstration of Rocket Lab's commitment to lead from the front when it comes to innovative and unique solutions for hypersonic technology development. Keeping pace with global developments means more affordable tests at a higher rate that expands the boundaries of hypersonic technology - and that's a capability we're already providing all in one platform with HASTE, at a commercial price and cadence that serves the mission of both nations."