Hypersonic Test Mission for Defense Innovation Unit to Launch from Virginia
Rocket Lab will Launch Cassowary Vex Mission from Wallops Island
A hypersonic vehicle will be the next payload to be launched by Rocket Lab. The dedicated mission for the Department of War’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) will employ a HASTE rocket and will deploy DART AE, a scramjet-powered aircraft developed by Australian aerospace engineering firm Hypersonix.
“DART AE allows us to validate propulsion, materials and control systems at speeds and temperatures that simply can’t be replicated on the ground.”
Dr. Michael Smart, Hypersonix
The mission, named Cassowary Vex, is scheduled to launch no earlier than late February from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 within the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia. This HASTE launch, dubbed ‘That’s Not A Knife,” is the latest mission of the DIU.
Unlike conventional scramjets powered by kerosene, SPARTAN uses hydrogen, producing zero CO₂ emissions and offering a reusable, low-maintenance solution for a range of high-speed defense and aerospace missions.
The technology was developed by Dr. Michael Smart, co-founder of Hypersonix, former Chair of Hypersonic Propulsion at the University of Queensland and former NASA research scientist. He said the flight is about proving the fundamentals of reusable, hydrogen-powered hypersonic flight at real conditions in the upper atmosphere. “DART AE allows us to validate propulsion, materials and control systems at speeds and temperatures that simply can’t be replicated on the ground,” Smart said. “What we learn from this mission will directly inform the next generation of operational hypersonic vehicles.”
Hypersonix CEO Matt Hill said it’s a major milestone for the company. “This flight reflects years of engineering work and the confidence of our partners at DIU, NASA and Rocket Lab,” he said. “It brings us a meaningful step closer to operational hypersonic systems that are reusable, sustainable and strategically relevant for Australia and for our allies.”
This will be the company’s fourth hypersonic test mission in under six months, reflecting Rocket Lab’s investment in restoring the nation’s hypersonic test capabilities through its commercial speed, innovation, and execution - a critical priority for the Department of War. By lowering cost barriers and increasing the test launch tempo for the United States and its allies, HASTE gives testers unprecedented control over flight profiles and environments up to Mach 20 – a commercial capability that remains unmatched globally and expands and secures U.S. space superiority.