Rocket Lab HASTE Launch – DART AE Hypersonic Test [27.02.26; 20:30 UTC]

20 days ago (Edited)

Launch has been moved to the 25th because of snow

Launch postponed due to "out-of-bounds launch commit criteria"

Rocket Lab is preparing a suborbital launch using its HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) vehicle. This mission, named "That's Not A Knife", will deploy the DART AE scramjet-powered hypersonic demonstrator for the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), part of the Department of Defense (DoD).

Vehicle

Source: Hypersonix

The vehicle is developed by Australian company Hypersonix Launch Systems, which specializes in scramjet propulsion technology. DART AE (aka "Cassowary Vex") is a single-use technology demonstrator designed to validate hypersonic flight performance, including propulsion, materials, guidance, and control in real conditions.

Claimed Reported Specifications for DART AE

Length: ~3 m
Mass: ~300 kg
Range: Up to 1000 km
Speed: Up to Mach 7

Mission

The HASTE rocket will accelerate the vehicle to its initial operating speed, after which DART AE will demonstrate non-ballistic flight, acceleration, flexible engine burns, and data collection at hypersonic velocities.

Launch Site

Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Wallops Island, Virginia (Rocket Lab's U.S. launch pad).

For context on Rocket Lab's suborbital HASTE missions, see:

List of Electron launches – Suborbital launches (HASTE)

Official Mission Page:

Rocket Lab: That's Not A Knife

This marks another in Rocket Lab's series of HASTE hypersonic test flights supporting rapid, commercial-access testing for defense applications.

Where to watch:

30 minutes before launch: Rocket Lab