Rocket Lab has conducted a successful launch of its latest hypersonic test mission, deploying a scramjet-powered aircraft for the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).
The flight took place on 27 February at 7:00 p.m. Eastern (28 February, 00:00 UTC) from Launch Complex 2 at the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia.
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The mission, named “That’s Not A Knife”, marks the second DIU hypersonic test flight by Rocket Lab in three months and is the seventh launch using the company’s HASTE rocket platform.
During this operation, the DART AE aircraft developed by Australian aerospace engineering company Hypersonix entered a suborbital environment, travelling at speeds several times faster than sound.
In April last year, Rocket Lab USA secured contracts valued at several billion dollars to provide test launch services supporting both US and UK hypersonic programmes using its HASTE vehicle.
The company reports a record of full mission completion across all HASTE launches to date.
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By GlobalDataRocket Lab global launch services vice president Brian Rogers said: “This launch is another proud moment for the HASTE team and a great showcase of the important commercial platform it has become for the Department of War.
“Regular and reliable HASTE launches are helping to accelerate hypersonic readiness for the nation, and we take pride in providing the foundation to a new era of testing of this critical technology to protect the United States space security.”
Since its first launch less than two years ago, the HASTE platform has been used for multiple commercial tests of hypersonic systems.
The company stated that combining rapid operational tempo with a flexible testing platform enables support for varied mission types within a single vehicle.
As of this latest mission, Rocket Lab has completed three launches in 2026, all meeting stated objectives. The company has now carried out a total of 82 launches for government and commercial clients.
