US Navy conducts live-fire ground test of hypersonic missile motor

In a step closer to flight tests, the US Navy has conducted a successful live-fire ground test of the First Stage Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) that will be used in the American offensive hypersonic missile system. The October 28, 2021 test at Promontory, U… Continue reading US Navy conducts live-fire ground test of hypersonic missile motor

“History-making” test flight of scramjet-powered hypersonic missile

Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Northrop Grumman successfully test flew an air-breathing hypersonic missile on September 20, 2021. Part of a program for DARPA and the US Air Force, the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) prototype promises h… Continue reading “History-making” test flight of scramjet-powered hypersonic missile

Tiny heat exchangers may let hypersonic plane fuel double as coolant

Hypersonic aircraft that fly many times the speed of sound might one day carry people from the US to Australia in just a few hours, but with all that velocity comes a hell of a lot of heat. One way scientists hope to prevent them overheating is by havi… Continue reading Tiny heat exchangers may let hypersonic plane fuel double as coolant

USAF funds testing of what will be the world’s fastest reusable aircraft

The US Air Force has awarded US$60 million to aerospace startup Hermeus to finance flight testing of its hypersonic Quarterhorse aircraft intended for military and commercial applications. Capable of flying at Mach 5 with a range of 4,600 miles (7,400 … Continue reading USAF funds testing of what will be the world’s fastest reusable aircraft

US Defense Department uses CubeSats to test anti-hypersonic tech

The US Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency is using a pair of CubeSats to develop a system to track hostile ballistic and hypersonic missiles from launch to impact. Part of the Nanosat Testbed Initiative, the CubeSat Networked Communications… Continue reading US Defense Department uses CubeSats to test anti-hypersonic tech

US Defense Department uses CubeSats to test anti-hypersonic tech

The US Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency is using a pair of CubeSats to develop a system to track hostile ballistic and hypersonic missiles from launch to impact. Part of the Nanosat Testbed Initiative, the CubeSat Networked Communications… Continue reading US Defense Department uses CubeSats to test anti-hypersonic tech

World first: Oblique wave detonation engine may unlock Mach 17 aircraft

UCF researchers say they’ve trapped a sustained explosive detonation, fixed in place, for the first time, channeling its enormous power into thrust in a new oblique wave detonation engine that could propel an aircraft up to 17 times the speed of sound,… Continue reading World first: Oblique wave detonation engine may unlock Mach 17 aircraft

After Years of Uncertainty, Stratolaunch Flies Again

When Paul Allen founded Stratolaunch in 2011, the hope was to make access to space cheaper and faster. The company’s massive carrier aircraft, the largest plane by wingspan ever to …read more Continue reading After Years of Uncertainty, Stratolaunch Flies Again

After Years of Uncertainty, Stratolaunch Flies Again

When Paul Allen founded Stratolaunch in 2011, the hope was to make access to space cheaper and faster. The company’s massive carrier aircraft, the largest plane by wingspan ever to …read more Continue reading After Years of Uncertainty, Stratolaunch Flies Again

Hypersonic weapon setback after USAF missile prototype fails to launch

The US Air Force’s long anticipated first powered flight test of the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic missile was scrubbed this week when the booster vehicle failed to launch from the B-52H Stratofortress bomber. The eighth… Continue reading Hypersonic weapon setback after USAF missile prototype fails to launch