Pentagon awards Rocket Lab $266 million for suborbital hypersonic test launches
The U.S. Space Systems Command awarded Rocket Lab USA a $266 million firm-fixed-price contract for suborbital launch services, covering 12 confirmed launches with an option for six more, all to be conducted from the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Kodiak Island, Alaska, through the end of 2028. The contract likely involves Rocket Lab's HASTE vehicle, a suborbital variant of the Electron rocket used for hypersonic weapons testing since 2023. $112 million in fiscal 2025 funding was obligated at award. The move to Alaska provides a Pacific-facing launch corridor for testing hypersonic technology over open ocean. The award follows Rocket Lab being named to the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 program, and shares jumped 9% in after-hours trading.
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