Curveball Mystery: Rocket Lab's Secret Suborbital Mission Ends Up in Orbit
TL;DR
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.
Topics:sciencespace-and-spaceflight#curveball#haste#hypersonic#orbit#rocket-lab#space-and-spaceflight
- Did Rocket Lab Accidentally Launch a Rocket to Orbit? Gizmodo
- Rocket Lab HASTE Launch set for Thursday morning from Wallops Island Shore Daily News
- Rocket Lab HASTE Curveball Scrubs From Virginia: Backup Window Opens Tonight Tech Times
- SpaceX and Rocket Lab set for liftoff this week Astronomy Magazine
- NASA Wallops to Support June Rocket Launch NASA (.gov)
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