Rocket Lab successfully launched the JENNA mission, a suborbital flight under its Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test (HASTE) program, from Wallops Island, Virginia, on September 22, 2025, around 7:45 PM EDT. The purpose of the mission was to conduct hypersonic testing, with specifics for this government/military flight being classified. The JENNA launch was a suborbital flight of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket.
A modified version of Rocket Lab’s existing Electron rocket, it leverages the reliability of the proven Electron launch vehicle to provide suborbital trajectories.
HASTE serves as a testbed for various hypersonic technologies, including those for air-breathing and glide vehicles.
It can carry a diverse range of hypersonic payloads, helping to test technologies that operate at extreme speeds and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere from space.
The primary clients for the HASTE vehicle are within the defense sector, particularly the U.S. military.
HASTE can deliver payloads to test environments at speeds greater than 7.5 km per second, providing a platform for diverse suborbital trajectories.
HASTE supports the defense industry’s need for frequent, affordable, and reliable testing of hypersonic systems, crucial for the development of advanced national security technologies.
