Rocket Lab secures $190 million DoD contract for 20 hypersonic test flights

Rocket Lab has secured a $190 million contract with the US Department of Defense. The agreement is the company's largest launch deal to date and covers 20 test flights over four years. The HASTE vehicle, a suborbital variant of the Electron rocket, will serve as the primary test vehicle for the TRMC MACH-TB 2.0 programme. The programme is a joint DoD effort to accelerate hypersonic flight testing. First launches are expected within months of the signing. HASTE has completed seven launches since its debut in June 2023. Most of those missions remain classified, though nearly all supported US government programmes including earlier MACH-TB flights. Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck welcomed the partnership in a statement. He said the contract is another proud moment for the team that builds the strength and resiliency of the United States aerospace efforts. The new deal brings the company's total launch manifest beyond 70 missions. So far in 2026 the company has averaged one launch per month.