Rocket Lab HASTE Launch set for Thursday morning from Wallops Island

Rocketlab Launch, Keith Misener picture.

A Rocket Lab suborbital launch is scheduled to lift off from Wallops Island early Thursday morning, bringing another aerospace mission to the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

According to spacelaunchschedule.com, the mission is scheduled for a launch window from 12 a.m. to 5:15 a.m. Thursday, June 11, from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2, Launch Area 0-C, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.

The launch will use Rocket Lab’s HASTE vehicle, which stands for Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron. HASTE is a modified version of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket and is used for suborbital test missions, including hypersonic research.

Mission details are limited, with the launch listed as a government mission. The flight is expected to be suborbital, meaning the vehicle will not place a payload into orbit.

Weather could be a factor during the launch window. The forecast calls for temperatures around 73 degrees, moderate rain, full cloud cover, winds near 16 miles per hour, and the potential for heavy rainfall during the overnight hours.

Launch visibility information and trajectory details had not yet been finalized. Those profiles are typically released closer to launch after final review by the range.

The Wallops Flight Facility, located on Wallops Island, remains one of the Eastern Shore’s most visible connections to the national aerospace industry. The facility supports NASA, commercial, scientific, and government missions, including sounding rockets, suborbital launches, orbital missions, high-altitude balloon flights, and research aircraft operations.

Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 2 has become an important part of that mission profile, allowing the company to conduct launches from Virginia in addition to its operations in New Zealand.

The launch window is subject to change due to weather, technical issues, or range conditions.