Rocket Lab's HASTE Reaches 120-Mile Orbit on Secret Government Mission
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Jun 16
Rocket Lab's HASTE Reaches 120-Mile Orbit on Secret Government Mission
2 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Jun 16
Summary
June 11's Curveball launch put Rocket Lab's HASTE vehicle into a roughly 120-mile orbit at a 40-degree inclination, even though HASTE is designed as a suborbital test rocket.
U.S. Space Force tracking revealed the unexpected orbit days later, but Rocket Lab has not explained whether the trajectory was intentional or a mistake.
No orbital data has appeared for the payload, prompting speculation that it deorbited on its first pass or was recovered over the western U.S., possibly near Utah's test range.
HASTE — a modified Electron built for hypersonic testing up to Mach 5 — has flown seven times and typically carries classified Department of Defense missions with little public detail.