Multi-Billion Contracts To Develop Advanced Hypersonic Capabilities

The U.S. Air Force and the UK’s Ministry of Defense have both selected Rocket Lab USA to participate in bidding on contracts to provide hypersonic test launch capabilities with its HASTE launch system, engineering, and other services under programs that run through 2031.

The USAF selection is under its Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition Contract, a $46 billion program for indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity for innovative technologies, engineering services, and technical solutions to develop new capabilities.

The UK Ministry of Defense’s invitation is under its Hypersonic Technologies and Capability Development Framework, a$1.3 billion (€1 billion) program to rapidly develop advanced hypersonic capabilities for the UK. As a newly-selected supplier, Rocket Lab is eligible to bid to provide services, technologies, and testing capabilities to support the UK’s hypersonic technology development.

Under both programs, Rocket Lab intends to bid for contracts and task orders that leverage its Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron or HASTE launch vehicle, along with additional engineering design, and launch services. HASTE is a suborbital variant of Electron that includes much of the same technology, but has a modified Kick Stage tailored for hypersonic technology tests and a larger payload capacity of up to 1,540 lbs (700 kg).

HASTE can deploy technologies at speeds of more than 7,500 m/sec to test air-breathing, glide, and ballistic payloads. Rocket Lab has conducted three successful launches for the DoD at its Launch Complex 2 site on Wallops Island, Virginia.

The company’s HASTE and Electron launch vehicles have deployed a combined 200+ payloads from its U.S. and New Zealand launch sites to date.

FMI:  www.rocketlabusa.com/