Hypersonix Dart

[BMJ]

Launch Window Set for Flight of Australian Hypersonic Flight Pioneer

Brisbane, QLD – Australian hypersonic flight pioneer Hypersonix Launch Systems is pleased to announce the launch window for a landmark flight test that will move sustained hypersonic flight closer to operational reality.

Founded in 2019, Hypersonix is focused on developing a new class of autonomous hypersonic aircraft that deliver sustained flight at extreme speed, range and altitude. Its proprietary SPARTAN scramjet engine is 3D-printed, reusable and capable of reaching speeds of Mach 5+ with no moving parts.

(Edit: Specifications on the Dart. Length: 3 metres, Weight: 300kg, Range: 1000km, Speed: Mach 7)

The Cassowary Vex mission, launching on “That’s Not A Knife” with Rocket Lab, a global leader in launch services and space systems, is scheduled to launch no earlier than late February from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 within the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia. The exact date and timing of the launch will be announced within 24 hours of the mission’s launch window opening.

The flight will see Hypersonix deploy DART AE, a 3.5-metre, scramjet-powered hypersonic aircraft designed to validate advanced propulsion, materials, sensors and guidance systems at real hypersonic flight conditions. The mission will be the first flight of DART AE.

Unlike conventional scramjets powered by kerosene, SPARTAN uses hydrogen, producing zero CO₂ emissions and offering are usable, low-maintenance solution for a range of high-speed defence and aerospace missions.

The technology was developed by Dr Michael Smart, co-founder of Hypersonix, former Chair of Hypersonic Propulsion at the University of Queensland and former NASA research scientist.

Dr Smart said the flight is about proving the fundamentals of reusable, hydrogen-powered hypersonic flight at real conditions in the upper atmosphere.

“DART AE allows us to validate propulsion, materials and control systems at speeds and temperatures that simply can’t be replicated on the ground,” he said.

“What we learn from this mission will directly inform the next generation of operational hypersonic vehicles.”

Hypersonix CEO Matt Hill said it’s a major milestone for the company.

“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.”

Link: https://www.hypersonix.com/resources...flight-pioneer

Link: https://www.hypersonix.com/technology/dart

[BMJ]

Hypersonix VISR

VISR is a reusable multi-mission hypersonic flyer specifically for defence applications, and can accelerate from Mach 5 to Mach 10 returning to land on a conventional runway. VISR will provide defence with rapidly deployable test bed, ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) and other affordable hypersonic capabilities in a reusable platform.

Specifications
Length: 6 metres
Wingspan: 2 metres
Payload: 50kg
Range: 2,500 km
Speed: mach 5-10

Link: https://www.hypersonix.com/technology/visr

[petra]

Wow we are literally flying forward in leaps and bounds

[norman]

I may have got the wrong end of the stick but I believe HYPERSONIX is really a German company, rumoured to be working on what I was told they called a hypersonic glider.


edit to add:

I got 2 names mixed up. The German company is called HYPERSONICA.

[BMJ]

MISSION SUCCESS: Australian Hypersonic Pioneer Achieves First Flight

Wallops Island, Virginia, USA -- Australian hypersonic flight pioneer Hypersonix Launch Systems (HLS) has successfully completed the first flight of its DART AE hypersonic aircraft, marking a major milestone in the development of advanced hypersonic systems.

The mission, titled That’s Not A Knife, lifted off at 7pm Eastern on Friday, February 27th (11am AEDT on Saturday, February 28th) 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.

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 is 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 carried DART AE to the planned deployment point in the upper atmosphere. DART AE then executed its hypersonic mission, gathering invaluable technical data for the team to analyse in the coming weeks.

Hypersonix co-founder Dr Michael Smart, a former NASA research scientist and former Chair of Hypersonic Propulsion at the University of Queensland, said the mission confirmed years of technical work. “This mission allowed us to test propulsion, materials and control systems in real hypersonic conditions,” Dr Smart said.

“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.”

Hypersonix CEO Matt Hill said the successful mission represents a defining moment for the company and for Australia’s advanced aerospace capability.

“This flight reflects years of focused engineering work and the confidence placed in us by our partners,” Mr 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 successful mission follows 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 in national security and frontier technology, with European defence company Saab and Polish family office RKKVC also supporting the raise.

The funding is accelerating 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). Hypersonix currently employs more than 50 people in Brisbane across aerospace engineering, advanced manufacturing and testing roles.

Link: https://www.hypersonix.com/resources...s-first-flight