Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB) announced it secured a $190 million contract for 20 hypersonic test flights using its HASTE launch vehicle, marking the company's largest launch agreement to date.

The contract is part of the U.S. Department of War's Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed (MACH-TB) 2.0 program, executed through the Test Resource Management Center in partnership with Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division. Under Task Area 1, led by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ: KTOS), Rocket Lab will conduct the flights over four years.

The first mission is expected within months of contract signing. Rocket Lab has completed multiple HASTE launches at speeds exceeding Mach 5 for the MACH-TB program since 2023, maintaining a 100% mission success rate across all HASTE launches.

"Our expanded partnership with MACH-TB and the Department of War strengthens America's national security and delivers reliable, modern hypersonic capabilities with speed and affordability," said Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck.

The new contract brings Rocket Lab's total launch backlog to more than 70 missions and pushes the company's combined backlog across launch and space systems beyond $2 billion. The company has sold 28 new launches in the first quarter of 2026, approaching the total number sold throughout 2025.

The agreement builds on Rocket Lab's existing hypersonic testing capabilities for defense applications, utilizing the company's HASTE vehicle designed for government and allied nation hypersonic testing programs.