Rocket Lab Flies Hypersonic Testbed in Rare Public Mission

On February 27, 2026, Rocket Lab launched its “That’s Not A Knife” mission from Wallops Island, Virginia, marking a rare public outing for its defence-focused HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) programme. The Electron rocket lifted off from Launch Pad 0C at 3:00 PM EST, carrying the DART AE hypersonic test vehicle developed by Australian firm Hypersonix. Unlike typical satellite launches, this mission deployed its payload while still inside Earth’s atmosphere to enable a Mach 7 flight—an impressive seven times the speed of sound—powered by a scramjet engine.

Scramjets require hypersonic speeds to operate and historically only fire for seconds or minutes, making flight testing exceptionally challenging. The mission was sponsored by the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit, which seeks to accelerate commercial technologies for defence applications. Notably, media were invited to cover this launch—a departure from the usual secrecy surrounding HASTE missions. This openness may reflect Rocket Lab’s recent engagement with U.S. defence priorities, including a visit last month by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to the company’s Long Beach facility.

Intuitive Machines Secures $175 Million for Lunar Communications Network

Intuitive Machines raised $175 million in a stock sale that closed on February 27, 2026, to accelerate development of its deep space communications infrastructure. The Houston-based company plans to use the capital to expand its lunar satellite network—a key component of its $4.8 billion NASA contract to provide communications and navigation services for missions around and on the Moon. The network will eventually consist of at least five spacecraft, with the first three already in development.

This funding also supports the integration of capabilities from Lanteris Space Systems (formerly Maxar Space Systems), which Intuitive Machines acquired in November 2025 for $800 million. CEO Steve Altemus stated the investment will help the company pursue “higher-margin, recurring revenue programmes,” including potential roles in NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System and a proposed Mars Telecommunications Orbiter. However, investors reacted cautiously: shares dropped 16% on February 25 following the announcement, though they partially recovered by week’s end. The company will release its full-year 2025 financial results on March 19.

CAS Space Prepares Inaugural Flight of Reusable Kinetica-2 Rocket

Chinese commercial launch provider CAS Space is gearing up for the debut of its Kinetica-2 rocket in late March 2026 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. The 53-metre-tall, liquid-fuelled launcher—designed to carry up to 12,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit—will loft the Qingzhou-1 prototype cargo spacecraft, developed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Qingzhou-1 is part of China’s effort to establish low-cost resupply options for its Tiangong space station.

Kinetica-2 features three core stages, each powered by three YF-102 kerosene-liquid oxygen engines from state-owned CASC. CAS Space, a commercial spinoff of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, aims to make the rocket reusable and has already outlined plans for three additional Kinetica-2 launches later in 2026, including missions for internet megaconstellations. This debut follows a pause in Chinese launch activity during the Lunar New Year holidays and comes amid a broader push by China to increase its launch cadence with next-generation, partially reusable vehicles.

Citations

• “Rocket Lab Showcases Hypersonic Test Flight” – https://www.spacescout.info/2026/02/rocket-lab-showcases-hypersonic-test-flight/
• “CAS Space to launch Kinetica-2 in late March carrying prototype cargo spacecraft” – https://spacenews.com/cas-space-to-launch-kinetica-2-in-late-march-carrying-prototype-cargo-spacecraft/
• “Intuitive Machines raises $175 million in stock sale” – https://spacenews.com/intuitive-machines-raises-175-million-in-stock-sale/