Founded in 2019, Hypersonix is developing a new class of autonomous hypersonic aircraft designed to deliver sustained flight at extreme speed, range and altitude, built around its proprietary SPARTAN scramjet engine.
SPARTAN is a 3D printed, reusable scramjet with no moving parts that is designed to reach speeds above Mach 5 while using hydrogen fuel rather than conventional kerosene-based propellants.
The upcoming Cassowary Vex mission will fly DART AE on a dedicated Rocket Lab launch named Thats Not A Knife from Launch Complex 2 at the Virginia Spaceport Authoritys Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia.
The mission is scheduled to lift off no earlier than late February, with the specific launch date and time to be confirmed within 24 hours of the launch window opening.
During the flight, Hypersonix will deploy DART AE, a 3.5 meter scramjet-powered hypersonic aircraft intended to validate advanced propulsion, high temperature materials, onboard sensors and guidance and control systems in real hypersonic flight conditions.
The mission will mark the first flight of DART AE and is intended to demonstrate the fundamentals of reusable, hydrogen-powered hypersonic flight in the upper atmosphere rather than in ground-based test facilities.
Unlike scramjets fueled by kerosene, the hydrogen-fueled SPARTAN engine is designed to produce zero carbon dioxide emissions while offering a reusable, lower-maintenance solution for a wide range of high-speed defense and aerospace applications.
The underlying scramjet technology was developed by Hypersonix co-founder Dr Michael Smart, a former Chair of Hypersonic Propulsion at the University of Queensland and former NASA research scientist.
Dr Smart said the mission is focused on proving core aspects of the technology in the real environment in which future operational systems will fly.
"DART AE allows us to validate propulsion, materials and control systems at speeds and temperatures that simply cant be replicated on the ground," he said.
"What we learn from this mission will directly inform the next generation of operational hypersonic vehicles."
Hypersonix Chief Executive Officer Matt Hill described the upcoming flight as a major milestone for the company and its partners.
"This flight reflects years of engineering work and the confidence of our partners at DIU, NASA and Rocket Lab," he said.
"It brings us a meaningful step closer to operational hypersonic systems that are reusable, sustainable and strategically relevant for Australia and for our allies."
Launch details released by the company list the mission name as Cassowary Vex, with the launch campaign titled Thats Not A Knife, and identify the Defense Innovation Unit and Hypersonix as the customers for the flight.
The launch will take place from Rocket Labs Launch Complex 2 in Virginia, with more information and live coverage to be provided via Rocket Labs online channels and a live webcast on YouTube.
The Cassowary Vex campaign follows the completion of a 46 million Australian dollar Series A funding round for Hypersonix, backed by Australias National Reconstruction Fund Corporation and Queensland Investment Corporation.
The funding round was led by UK-based High Tor Capital, with European defense company Saab and Polish family office RKKVC also participating in the raise.
Hypersonix said the capital is accelerating its flight test program, scaling advanced manufacturing capability in Queensland and fast-tracking development of its next reusable hypersonic platform, VISR, which is aimed at intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
The company currently employs more than 50 staff in Brisbane across aerospace engineering, advanced manufacturing and testing roles as it builds out its hypersonic flight portfolio.
Related Links
Hypersonix Launch Systems
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com
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