Curveball Mystery: Rocket Lab's Secret Suborbital Mission Ends Up in Orbit

Rocket Lab's HASTE suborbital vehicle launched on the Curveball mission for a U.S. defense program on November 18, 2025. A few days later, the U.S. Space Force tracked the rocket in what appears to be a 120-mile orbit with a 40-degree inclination, but payload data remain undisclosed and it’s unclear whether the flight was intentionally aimed at orbit or ended up there by miscalculation, prompting questions about the mission’s outcome.