Rocket Lab Conduct Debut Flight of DART Hypersonic Aircraft

Today, February 28, Rocket Lab conducted the seventh launch of HASTE, its rocket designed for advanced hypersonic test flights. The mission, named That’s Not A Knife, lifted off from Launch Complex 2 at Mid-Atlantic Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia, carrying the DART AE aircraft demonstrator.

LIFTOFF! Launch of our latest hypersonic test mission from Virginia, the "That's Not A Knife" mission for @DIU_x and @Hypersonix_AU pic.twitter.com/PVsynn4tMC
— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) February 28, 2026

The Rocket reached an altitude of nearly 250km before releasing the aircraft without a second stage engine burn.

For the first time, Rocket Lab provided an official live stream of the HASTE flight, and closed the webcast shortly before deployment due to the payload’s military nature.

This is the second flight for the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) under the Hypersonic High-Cadence Advanced Testing (HyCAT) program, established by the Department of Defense in 2022 to boost the development of hypersonic technologies through increased integration of commercial assets. In 2023, DIU awarded the first HyCAT contracts to Hypersonix, Rocket Lab, and Fenix Space.

DART, hypersonic flexibility

Founded in 2019, Hypersonix Launch System is an Australian aerospace company focused on the production of hypersonic aircraft for research and development, space launch, and a variety of defence applications.

Hypersonix’s airframes are developed around their proprietary SPARTAN reusable scramjet engine.

SPARTAN is an innovative, entirely 3D-printed air-breathing hydrogen-powered engine. Using hydrogen enables both reduced CO2 emissions and improved performance compared to hydrocarbon fuels.

Despite the challenges associated with the required initial ignition speed and the extreme temperatures the materials must withstand, the complete absence of moving parts allows an engine like this to achieve speeds (Mach 10+) far exceeding those of traditional turbojets and ramjet engines.

Hypersonix's DART AE hypersonic aircraft secured on HASTE second stage. Credits: Rocket Lab — *Hypersonix’s DART AE hypersonic aircraft secured on HASTE second stage. Credits: Rocket Lab*

A single SPARTAN can push DART AE up to Mach 7. According to the company, the autonomous demonstration aircraft has a mass of 300kg and a range of 1000km. Thanks to its aerodynamic control surfaces, DART flies a planned trajectory, performing significant changes in flight direction and altitude.

To fit the 3-meter-long vehicle on top of HASTE, Rocket Lab has produced its longest fairing to date, 4,3 meters, confirming the versatility of the tailored launch service.

All eyes on the hypersonic arms race

Today’s mission is being closely monitored not only by the Pentagon but also by other Western countries. During its recent $46 million Series A funding round, Hypersonix received backing from the Australian government, the UK-based High Tor Capital, and the Swedish defense company Saab.

For the United States, the new opportunities offered by private partners under programs like HyCAT and MachTB focus on reducing costs and accelerating the evolution of technologies that have been under development for years.

New photos of the Dark Eagle system recently released by the U.S. Army. Credits: US Army — *New photos of the Dark Eagle system, recently released by the U.S. Army. Credits: US Army*

The U.S. Army already has access to a system entering service, the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, also known as Dark Eagle. Produced by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, the missile has an official range of 2.700km and consists of a booster and a kinetic warhead known as the Common Hypersonic Glide Body. A navalized variant of the LRHW is currently under development for the U.S. Navy.

The DoD views the ongoing advancement of these capabilities as essential amid rising global competition. Other major powers, including China, India, and Russia, are fielding hypersonic weapons. Notably, the Russian Federation has already employed its Zircon cruise missile during the invasion of Ukraine.

European solutions

Despite what we might assume, Europe has not stood still this time. Momentum is building.

Among European countries, France has been the most active in advancing hypersonic technologies for national defense applications. In June 2023, the national defence procurement agency (DGA), in cooperation with Arianegroup, successfully launched V-MAX, a maneuverable hypersonic glider that reached Mach 5. V-MAX 2 is in preparation; it will bring the system closer to an operational weapon.

Furthermore, last year Arianegroup debuted SyLEx, a sounding rocket developed to increase national suborbital launch capability.

France is also working on the future of its nuclear deterrence. In the mid-2030s, ASN4G, a hypersonic nuclear cruise missile, will replace the current ASMPA-R air-launched supersonic missile.

Berlin and London are also investing significant resources in the sector, with various projects underway, but without mature hardware, until recently.

On Feb. 10th, Hypersonica, a promising startup, emerged from stealth. The Anglo-German company, founded in 2023, announced the closure of a €23.3 million Series A funding round, supported by the German government, Plural, General Catalyst, and 201 Ventures.

Official video of Hypersonica’s missile prototype test launch from Andøya. Credits: Hypersonica/Adverse Production

The company also unveiled that a missile prototype, “designed and built in just 9 months”, was successfully launched from Andøya Space in Norway. Hypersonica’s missile reached Mach 6, achieving a range of over 300km.

“Hypersonica has achieved a major milestone on our pathway to developing Europe’s first sovereign hypersonic strike capability by 2029. Our test flight yielded invaluable datasets that will inform the design and development of future high‑speed strike systems and enhance our ability to analyse adversary weapon profiles.”

— Hypersonica co-founders Dr. Philipp Kerth (CEO) and Dr. Marc Ewenz (CTO)