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Rocket Lab has launched several satellites for the US military, including research satellites for the US Air Force's Space Test Program in 2019 and the Monolith satellite for the US Space Force in 2021. New Zealand's Space Minister Judith Collins confirmed that launches are authorized based on national and international interests.

Concerns have emerged about the military applications of satellite data, especially from BlackSky, which sells imagery to defense clients. Rocket Lab is preparing the Victus Haze mission for the US Space Force, aimed at demonstrating rapid-response space capabilities, and has secured an $816 million contract for missile-tracking satellites to detect threats. The company's latest launch deployed an Earth observation satellite for a confidential customer.