War games in orbit: Rocket Lab shows US Space Force it's good to go

Rocket Lab has rapidly launched a spacecraft to chase down another satellite in a landmark project for the Pentagon aimed at countering "dogfighting in space".

It was the space firm's quickest launch yet, with the rocket shot into space from Mahia Peninsula just over 16 hours from getting the US Space Force go-ahead.

"The chase is on to rendezvous with another satellite on orbit; one that doesn't want to be found," the New Zealand-founded, US-listed company posted online.

It called the mission a "major capability milestone for the Department of War".

The spacecraft that the company built, called Pioneer, is intended to find, photograph and monitor a satellite launched by another company.

The Jackal satellite, built by firm True Anomaly, was launched in May for the project, called Victus Haze. One space news agency said its role was to "pose as a satellite from a potential adversary, such as China or Russia".

US Space Force said it was about proving it could "quickly respond to adversary aggression" - the jargon is "simulating a rapid threat-response scenario alongside a non-compliant satellite".

Rocket Lab said its launch set a global benchmark for rapid call-up.

"With space an increasingly contested domain, the ability to rapidly launch a spacecraft, pursue an object in space, photograph it, and monitor its behaviour in real time, gives the US and its allies the 'Space Domain Awareness' capability and the vital intelligence it needs to maintain US superiority in space," the company said.

It had 72 hours to get the spacecraft ready and did that in 37 hours.

The latest rendezvous and proximity operation follows worries at the US military space wing that China is practising with "dogfighting" satellites even to the point of them grappling with another satellite and throwing it into a different orbit, as CNN reported.

"By launching on demand with spacecraft at-the-ready we've shown we can secure and defend the nation's space interests rapidly, and that's a powerful capability for the United States and its allies," Rocket Lab founder Sir Peter Beck said.

"This is what modern space power looks like: the ability to reinforce and reimagine national security space architecture at will, and we're proud to be providing the nation with those next-generation space capabilities, today."

Rocket Lab had done rapid launches before and were unmatched for this "by any other small launch provider globally".

The company's stock slid about 5 percent to about US$95 (NZ$168), the level it was at in January after hitting a peak around $US150. This came as the share price of Elon Musk's SpaceX dropped during a global stock sell-off.

Rocket Lab has other major Pentagon contracts, including for hypersonic test flights and to build spacecraft components and full satellites for the Golden Dome missile defence project.

In May it was chosen along with major US firm Raytheon to work on the Space Based Interceptor programme, which also supports the Golden Dome.

"The programme is an important step in strengthening national missile defence capabilities and we stand ready to deliver," Rocket Lab said.