Pentagon tests 3D-printed scramjet, demonstrating Mach 5+ cruise

The Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) advanced hypersonic testing by launching a 3D-printed scramjet testbed, the DART AE, developed by Australian firm Hypersonix, as part of its HyCAT program. The Cassowary Vex mission used Rocket Lab’s HASTE vehicle to conduct a suborbital flight, gathering critical propulsion, trajectory, and vehicle data under real hypersonic conditions exceeding Mach 5. This marked the first deployment of a commercially developed testbed under DIU’s Hypersonic High-Cadence Advanced Testing initiative, aiming to accelerate hypersonic system validation while reducing costs and increasing flight frequency. The DART AE demonstrator features a gaseous hydrogen-fueled scramjet engine and an airframe entirely produced through additive manufacturing with high-temperature alloys, potentially broadening the hypersonic test supply chain. The HyCAT program, launched in 2022, addresses testing bottlenecks caused by limited U.S. facilities