Rocket Lab conducts hypersonic suborbital test launch for DoD

Written by Copernical Team Tuesday, 10 December 2024 03:39

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Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 10, 2024

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has successfully executed a suborbital hypersonic mission in November, advancing technology testing for the Department of Defense under the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed (MACH-TB) initiative. The MACH-TB project, designed to enhance hypersonic flight testing capabilities, supports technology development for the United States. Thi

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Rocket Lab conducts hypersonic suborbital test launch for DoD
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 10, 2024

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has successfully executed a suborbital hypersonic mission in November, advancing technology testing for the Department of Defense under the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed (MACH-TB) initiative.

The MACH-TB project, designed to enhance hypersonic flight testing capabilities, supports technology development for the United States. This initiative was spearheaded by Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane under the Strategic and Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S2MARTS) Other Transaction Authority (OTA) vehicle for the Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center (TRMC).

George Rumford, Director of the TRMC, emphasized the value of collaboration with commercial partners: "Leveraging commercial launch services allows our Nation to affordably test components early and frequently, accelerating hypersonic development."

Rocket Lab's mission featured an advanced test platform engineered to accommodate larger payloads, specifically tailored for hypersonic technology assessments. The company managed every stage of development, from design to integration of the experimental hypersonic instrumentation, completing the project on an expedited timeline.

Brian Rogers, Rocket Lab's Vice President Global Launch Services, remarked: "Hypersonic technology testing is a critical need for the nation and one that we're proud to be serving with our test launches. Again, we broke new ground with this launch, and our ability to deliver successful tests demonstrates our commitment to working with our government and industry partners in pushing the boundaries of hypersonic innovation."

Since 2017, Rocket Lab has conducted missions for a diverse range of commercial and government clients, deploying over 200 payloads from its launch sites in the United States and New Zealand.