Rocket Lab recently announced a new high cadence service tailored to hypersonic technology. HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) is an electron-derived suborbital rocket aimed to accelerate customers’ payloads to hypersonic regimes with pinpoint accuracy. On April 17, Rocket Lab on Twitter made multiple posts introducing and announcing the program:

Introducing HASTE: Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron

A suborbital testbed rocket derived from Electron.
Reliable, high-cadence suborbital flight test opportunities to advance hypersonic tech development. Ready for launch from Virginia now. https://t.co/591S2RnwTX pic.twitter.com/LAhzDPh2wF

— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) April 17, 2023

The main selling point for HASTE is Electron’s “reliable, high-cadence flight test opportunities” and its ability to tailor each launch to a specific trajectory for the customer due to Electron’s liquid nature and “deep-throttling capability” coupled with a third kick stage for even more precise adjustment.

Launching solely from Rocket Lab’s Wallops launchpad in Virginia, the suborbital nature of the service also increases the payload capacity from Electron’s 320 kilograms to orbit. With HASTE, the maximum payload increases to up to 700 kilograms, more than double that of Electron.

HASTE’s Market

HASTE has been announced with a predominantly defense-focused market share. In the Twitter thread, Rocket Lab names multiple defense contractors, including the Department of Defense of the United States.

Rocket Lab has been selected by @Dynetics to provide hypersonic test launch capability on HASTE under the MACH-TB project awarded by @NAVSEACrane on behalf of @DeptofDefense. We’ve also been selected @DIU_x to prototype hypersonic launch capability under the HyCAT program

— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) April 17, 2023

Though the main source of demand for HASTE may lie in defense applications and hypersonic missile research, Rocket Lab made it clear that research and civil science are welcomed customers on HASTE as well. As shown above, HASTE offers a wide variety of fairing constructions tailored to a payload, notably including space-based research payloads. Rocket lab has also stated on their program website page that the wide range of opportunities provided by HASTE includes “from low hypersonic, high hypersonic, and orbital re-entry velocities”, opening a door for heatshield and thermal research as well.

Rocket Lab has also announced the first HASTE mission is already at Wallops and aiming for flight this quarter:

The first HASTE rocket is already at LC-2 ready for launch this quarter. We're enabling reliable, high-cadence flight test opportunities to advance hypersonic system development…and we're doing it now. https://t.co/mJD02blF5t pic.twitter.com/3iUzOOThqY

— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) April 18, 2023

Very soon, HASTE will be operating alongside Rocket Lab’s normal impressive cadence of orbital launches. LC-2 at Wallops is on track to be a lot busier in the near future!

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