Rocket Lab is set to launch a new hypersonic test mission this Wednesday.
The mission, called “That’s Not A Knife,” is scheduled to lift off between 3 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Eastern from the company’s Launch Complex 2 at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.
The launch will use Rocket Lab’s HASTE rocket, short for Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron, a modified version of its Electron small satellite launcher.
On board is a 660 lb experimental vehicle known as DART AE, developed by Hypersonix. The 10 foot -long craft is powered by a 3D-printed hydrogen-fueled scramjet engine. After the rocket reaches hypersonic speeds, DART will separate and fly on its own, testing advanced maneuvering, acceleration, and engine performance over a range of up to 620 miles.
HASTE stands about 60 ft. tall and can carry payloads of up to 1500 lbs. on suborbital flights.
This will be HASTE’s first mission of 2026 and the seventh overall for the hypersonic test vehicle.