South Australia to support hypersonic flight testing
South Australian spaceport provider Southern Launch and Queensland hypersonic vehicle and scramjet technology manufacturer Hypersonix Launch Systems say that hypersonic vehicles could be launched as early as 2025 in South Australia.
The two organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on a turnkey hypersonic test bed service.
Hypersonix is an aerospace engineering, design and manufacturing company specialising in hypersonic vehicle technology and scramjet engines. Under the MOU, Hypersonix and Southern Launch will work together to develop a mission to launch and return Hypersonix’s test bed vehicles at either of Southern Launch’s spaceports.
“South Australia has some geographical advantages that make it the perfect place to test hypersonic vehicles,” said Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp. “We are excited to work with the Hypersonix team to help test their groundbreaking technology from our facilities.”
Hypersonic aircraft fly at more than five times the speed of sound and require plenty of space to test and evaluate the technology. To reach hypersonic speeds, Hypersonix’s aircraft will be launched on a rocket before separating and igniting its own scramjet engines to reach speeds up to Mach 12.
“The intensity of hypersonic testing is set to rise rapidly and there are a huge number of both emerging technology companies and large aerospace companies that need hypersonic flight heritage for their products,” said Hypersonix CEO Matt Hill. “Our hypersonic test bed will make this affordable for these companies to flight-qualify their technology.”
The two companies will begin collaborating on a concept of operations for a future commercial launch and return of a Hypersonix test bed vehicle. Hypersonix’s long-term ambition is to bring affordable aircraft-like operations to access space, flying to the edge of space for spacecraft deployment and returning to land like a plane. Hypersonic engines will also power a future generation of passenger aircraft with the potential of reducing the flight time from Sydney to London to just two hours.
“The Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex and Koonibba Test Range are designed to be flexible to host a variety of missions,” Damp said. “We are proud that we can work with the Hypersonix team to help with the advancement of hypersonic vehicle technology and add another chapter to our nation’s aerospace capabilities right here in South Australia.”
Work on a joint mission will begin immediately with a hope to launch in late 2025.
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