Rocket Lab Successfully Launches HASTE Vehicle for Missile Defense Testing

Rocket Lab successfully executed the launch of its Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) rocket on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. The mission, officially designated "Prometheus Run," began its ascent at 8:00 a.m. EST from Launch Complex 2 at Wallops Island, Virginia.

This suborbital flight was commissioned by the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to advance national security objectives through validation of missile defense technology. The HASTE vehicle, derived from Rocket Lab's 59-foot-tall Electron orbital launcher, is designed to support high-cadence flight testing for various suborbital and hypersonic systems. This launch marked the sixth operational flight for the HASTE platform since its initial demonstration in June 2023.

The system is engineered to deliver test payloads to speeds exceeding 7.5 kilometers per second, a velocity profile necessary for replicating the demanding conditions of actual hypersonic flight regimes. The mission involved deploying a primary scientific payload developed in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL), alongside several secondary payloads from federal agencies and industry partners intended for integrated missile defense system evaluation.

The entire operation was secured under the DIU's Hypersonic and High-Cadence Airborne Testing Capabilities (HyCAT) program, which emphasizes rapid development cycles. Rocket Lab noted the compressed timeline, stating the mission was booked and launched in under 14 months, contrasting with traditional government acquisition schedules. This commercial agility is a central component of the program's value proposition.

Lt. Col. Nicholas Estep, director of the DIU's Emerging Technology Portfolio, underscored the strategic value of the HASTE system, stating the platform offers the U.S. hypersonics community a means for rapid and cost-effective iteration on new technologies. The DIU seeks to accelerate the adoption of commercial solutions within the Department of Defense, viewing these high-cadence tests as vital for maintaining a technological advantage.

The successful Prometheus Run mission highlights a growing reliance on commercial space providers for national security testing, offering a pathway to accelerate the fielding of critical defense capabilities. The ability to test technology at speeds equivalent to Mach 22 is fundamental to validating countermeasures against emerging threats in the high-speed domain, utilizing the proven reliability of the Electron rocket heritage.