Hypersonix Launch Systems' Dart AE hypersonic aircraft has completed its first flight, reaching hypersonic speeds greater than Mach 5, after launch from NASA’s Wallops Island.
“This mission allowed us to test propulsion, materials and control systems in real hypersonic conditions,” Hypersonix co-founder, Michael Smart, stated.
“At these speeds and temperatures, there is no substitute for flight data. The results from this mission will directly shape the design of future operational hypersonic aircraft.”
The mission, titled That’s Not A Knife, lifted off at 7pm Eastern on Friday, 27 February (11am AEDT on Saturday, 28 February) from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 within the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia, aboard Rocket Lab’s Haste launch vehicle.
“This flight reflects years of focused engineering work and the confidence placed in us by our partners,” Hypersonix CEO, Matt Hill, said.
“Successfully flying DART AE in a true hypersonic environment confirms that an Australian company can design, build and operate technology in one of the most demanding flight regimes on Earth. It is an important step toward delivering hypersonic systems that are operationally relevant for Australia and its allies.”
The flight was conducted under the US Department of War’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).
Hypersonic flight refers to speeds above Mach 5, more than five times the speed of sound. Hypersonix has been developing a new class of autonomous hypersonic aircraft capable of sustained flight up to Mach 12.
Its flagship Dart AE is a 3.5-metre autonomous hypersonic aircraft designed to validate propulsion, materials, sensors and guidance systems in real hypersonic flight conditions.
During the mission, Haste has carried Dart AE to the planned deployment point in the upper atmosphere. Dart AE then has executed its hypersonic mission, gathering technical data for the team to analyse in the coming weeks.
The mission has followed Hypersonix’s recent $46 million Series A funding round, backed by Australia’s National Reconstruction Fund Corporation and Queensland Investment Corporation.
The round was led by High Tor Capital, a UK investor, with European defence company Saab and Polish family office RKKVC also supporting the raise.
The funding has accelerated Hypersonix’s flight test program, expanding advanced manufacturing capability in Queensland and fast-tracking development of the company’s next hypersonic platform, VISR (Velos Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance).