HASTE | Curveball — what you saw in the sky & launch recap
Sub-orbital launch under Rocket Lab’s Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) program, details TBD. Note: Despite reported as a strictly sub-orbital launch program, this launch was cataloged by the USSF to have left 2 rocket stages in a 200 km, 40° very low Earth orbit by the US Space Force. The payload was not cataloged and may have been deliberately de-orbited.
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Liftoff time
- Jun 11, 2026, 8:00 AM UTC
- Jun 11, 2026, 4:00 AM Eastern
- Jun 11, 2026, 1:00 AM Pacific
What you saw
If you spotted a moving light in the sky from Wallops Island, VA · Chincoteague, VA · Onancock, VA or nearby, this launch is very likely what it was.
- Which way it headed: from Wallops Island, VA it first appeared low in the west-southwest sky, then climbed toward the north as it flew downrange.
- How long it was visible: from Wallops Island, VA, it rose into view about 5 seconds after liftoff and reached its highest point — roughly 74° above the horizon — around T+1m 15s; most viewers had it in sight for a few minutes.
- Twilight launch: Twilight launches are the best kind — sunlight catches the exhaust high above you, creating a glowing plume that can fan out across the sky.
Which cities could see this launch?
Estimated visibility from major towns near US launch sites, assuming clear skies and an open horizon at the time of liftoff. The 10 most likely first:
| City | Visibility | Look toward | Distance to pad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wallops Island, VA | Excellent | west-southwest | 6 mi |
| Chincoteague, VA | Excellent | southwest | 9 mi |
| Onancock, VA | Excellent | east-northeast | 17 mi |
| Pocomoke City, MD | Excellent | south-southeast | 17 mi |
| Exmore, VA | Excellent | northeast | 28 mi |
| Berlin, MD | Excellent | south-southwest | 37 mi |
| Salisbury, MD | Excellent | south | 37 mi |
| Ocean City, MD | Excellent | south-southwest | 41 mi |
| Cape Charles, VA | Excellent | northeast | 49 mi |
| Rehoboth Beach, DE | Excellent | south-southwest | 65 mi |
Show all 94 cities
| City | Visibility | Look toward | Distance to pad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach, VA | Excellent | north-northeast | 73 mi |
| Newport News, VA | Excellent | northeast | 74 mi |
| Norfolk, VA | Excellent | north-northeast | 81 mi |
| Cape May, NJ | Excellent | south-southwest | 83 mi |
| Dover, DE | Excellent | south | 92 mi |
| Annapolis, MD | Excellent | southeast | 96 mi |
| Richmond, VA | Excellent | east-northeast | 109 mi |
| Ocean City, NJ | Excellent | south-southwest | 112 mi |
| Washington, DC | Excellent | southeast | 112 mi |
| Baltimore, MD | Excellent | south-southeast | 117 mi |
| Philadelphia, PA | Excellent | south | 147 mi |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | Marginal | north-northeast | 344 mi |
| Charleston, SC | Marginal | northeast | 430 mi |
| Hilton Head Island, SC | Not visible | — | 489 mi |
| Savannah, GA | Not visible | — | 508 mi |
| Brunswick, GA | Not visible | — | 574 mi |
| Jacksonville, FL | Not visible | — | 627 mi |
| St. Augustine, FL | Not visible | — | 642 mi |
| Valdosta, GA | Not visible | — | 657 mi |
| Palm Coast, FL | Not visible | — | 658 mi |
| Daytona Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 675 mi |
| New Smyrna Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 684 mi |
| Gainesville, FL | Not visible | — | 688 mi |
| Mims, FL | Not visible | — | 705 mi |
| Titusville, FL | Not visible | — | 707 mi |
| Sanford, FL | Not visible | — | 707 mi |
| Port Canaveral, FL | Not visible | — | 715 mi |
| Tallahassee, FL | Not visible | — | 716 mi |
| Merritt Island, FL | Not visible | — | 720 mi |
| Cocoa Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 721 mi |
| Rockledge, FL | Not visible | — | 722 mi |
| Orlando, FL | Not visible | — | 726 mi |
| Satellite Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 729 mi |
| Indialantic, FL | Not visible | — | 734 mi |
| Melbourne, FL | Not visible | — | 736 mi |
| Palm Bay, FL | Not visible | — | 739 mi |
| Kissimmee, FL | Not visible | — | 743 mi |
| Sebastian, FL | Not visible | — | 750 mi |
| Vero Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 760 mi |
| Fort Pierce, FL | Not visible | — | 770 mi |
| Lakeland, FL | Not visible | — | 773 mi |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Not visible | — | 783 mi |
| Tampa, FL | Not visible | — | 793 mi |
| West Palm Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 813 mi |
| Pensacola Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 843 mi |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | Not visible | — | 854 mi |
| Gulf Shores, AL | Not visible | — | 872 mi |
| Miami, FL | Not visible | — | 878 mi |
| Grand Isle, LA | Not visible | — | 1023 mi |
| Rockport, TX | Not visible | — | 1417 mi |
| Port Aransas, TX | Not visible | — | 1425 mi |
| Corpus Christi, TX | Not visible | — | 1444 mi |
| South Padre Island, TX | Not visible | — | 1502 mi |
| Port Isabel, TX | Not visible | — | 1505 mi |
| Laguna Vista, TX | Not visible | — | 1507 mi |
| Bayview, TX | Not visible | — | 1512 mi |
| Los Fresnos, TX | Not visible | — | 1518 mi |
| Harlingen, TX | Not visible | — | 1524 mi |
| Brownsville, TX | Not visible | — | 1526 mi |
| McAllen, TX | Not visible | — | 1550 mi |
| Laredo, TX | Not visible | — | 1562 mi |
| San Diego, CA | Not visible | — | 2357 mi |
| Mojave, CA | Not visible | — | 2360 mi |
| Pasadena, CA | Not visible | — | 2377 mi |
| Los Angeles, CA | Not visible | — | 2385 mi |
| Long Beach, CA | Not visible | — | 2389 mi |
| Bakersfield, CA | Not visible | — | 2399 mi |
| Malibu, CA | Not visible | — | 2410 mi |
| Fresno, CA | Not visible | — | 2412 mi |
| Thousand Oaks, CA | Not visible | — | 2415 mi |
| Oxnard, CA | Not visible | — | 2432 mi |
| Ventura, CA | Not visible | — | 2437 mi |
| Santa Barbara, CA | Not visible | — | 2456 mi |
| Solvang, CA | Not visible | — | 2475 mi |
| Buellton, CA | Not visible | — | 2478 mi |
| Los Alamos, CA | Not visible | — | 2479 mi |
| Santa Maria, CA | Not visible | — | 2484 mi |
| Orcutt, CA | Not visible | — | 2486 mi |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Not visible | — | 2489 mi |
| Guadalupe, CA | Not visible | — | 2491 mi |
| Pismo Beach, CA | Not visible | — | 2491 mi |
| Vandenberg Village, CA | Not visible | — | 2491 mi |
| Lompoc, CA | Not visible | — | 2492 mi |
| San Jose, CA | Not visible | — | 2514 mi |
Where to look
A rocket lifts off below the horizon for distant viewers, then climbs into view as it gains altitude and flies downrange. Closer to the pad you'll see it within seconds; a few hundred miles away it can take three to six minutes to rise over the horizon. Find an open view in the direction shown for your city and start watching at liftoff.
What was that in the sky? — FAQ
What was the glowing plume in the sky over Virginia on June 11, 2026?
Most likely HASTE | Curveball — a Electron launched by Rocket Lab from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA at 4:00 AM EDT. From Wallops Island, VA it appeared low in the west-southwest sky and climbed toward the north as it headed downrange.
Which cities could see the HASTE | Curveball launch?
With clear skies, it was likely visible from Wallops Island, VA; Chincoteague, VA; Onancock, VA; Pocomoke City, MD; Exmore, VA; Berlin, MD — and from other towns within a few hundred miles of Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA. The city-by-city table on this page shows the estimated view from each.
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Explore more
Launch data from TheSpaceDevs Launch Library 2. Page generated July 13, 2026.