Rocket Lab made a the first suborbital launch of its Electron rocket for a paying from Wallops Island, Virginia, USA at 0125 GMT on 18 June 2023. The mission was flown in relative secrecy but it is known to be carrying a payload codenamed DYNAMO-A on a flight called HASTE 1 – standing for Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron 1. Thus the DYNAMO-A payload is suspected to be a hypersonic vehicle of some kind. Rocket Lab has said that the Electron rocket can carry up to 700 kg on suborbital flights.
The launch was seen by via time lapse photos to do a dog-leg during its trajectory and then pitch downward to a shallower trajectory towards the end of the flight.
HASTE Flight 1 pulls a major dog leg maneuver on its way to space! Full launch gallery will be available soon on my website link in bio! pic.twitter.com/wOKShBvUQe
— Kyle Henry (@kyle_LTS) June 18, 2023
The launch of HASTE 1 hypersonic military mission by Electron. Courtesy: NASA/Patrick Black
