Articles tagged with "hypersonic-technology"
Portugal’s hypersonic test 'generates flow hotter than Sun’s surface'
Portugal has achieved a significant milestone in hypersonic research by successfully conducting a test at the European Shock Tube for High Enthalpy Research (ESTHER) facility, reaching speeds of approximately Mach 25 (about 8 km/s). This test, carried out by the Institute of Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion (IPFN) at Instituto Superior Técnico, simulated extreme atmospheric re-entry conditions, generating gas temperatures and pressures exceeding those on the Sun’s surface. The intense shock wave produced a bright flash, visually confirming the extreme physical environment created inside the facility. This breakthrough places Portugal among a select group of countries with experimental capabilities in hypersonic flow research, relevant for spacecraft thermal protection and planetary atmosphere exploration. ESTHER, inaugurated in 2019 and developed over 15 years through an international consortium led by IPFN and supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), is designed to replicate the high-temperature, high-pressure plasma conditions encountered during atmospheric re-entry and hypersonic flight. The facility operates remotely
energyaerospacehypersonic-technologyplasma-physicsthermal-protection-systemsexperimental-researchspace-explorationUS firm to produce 60 hypersonic motors for rocket, missile testing
L3Harris Technologies has received a letter of intent to produce 60 Zeus solid rocket motors for Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, aiming to expand U.S. industrial capacity for advanced missile and hypersonic testing programs. This order follows the successful development and flight testing of the Zeus 1 and Zeus 2 motors by Kratos, enabling larger-scale production. The Zeus motors are designed to replace older suborbital rocket motors, offering greater thrust, efficiency, and compatibility with existing launch platforms, thereby facilitating longer flights, higher speeds, and more frequent test launches. The Zeus program supports the Pentagon’s Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed project, which seeks to increase the frequency and flexibility of hypersonic system testing. By addressing current limitations in testing infrastructure, the program aims to accelerate the development and deployment of hypersonic weapons. L3Harris designed the motors in Huntsville, Alabama, with production planned at its large Camden, Arkansas facility, which already manufactures a wide range
energyrocket-propulsionhypersonic-technologymissile-testingsolid-rocket-motorsaerospace-manufacturingdefense-technologyUS Army fires fastest gun to study rain effects at hypersonic velocity
The US Army’s Aerophysics Research Facility (ARF) has successfully conducted hypersonic tests using one of its fastest light gas guns to validate a newly developed rainfield simulator. This simulator is designed to model how vehicles behave when traveling through rain at hypersonic speeds, a critical factor for understanding extreme flight environments. The facility’s largest gun, a 254-millimeter light gas gun, can fire projectiles up to 1.9 miles per second (3 km/s), with smaller projectiles reaching speeds above 3.7 miles per second (6 km/s). The rainfield system produces controlled streams of water droplets with adjustable size, spacing, and density, allowing detailed study of rain effects on hypersonic vehicles. Recent tests, including a notable December 11 experiment using a non-spherical projectile, have yielded high-quality data and demonstrated reliable test execution. Earlier experiments involved launching nylon spheres at speeds near Mach 8 through artificial rainfields to evaluate advanced imaging and diagnostic tools
energyhypersonic-technologymilitary-researchaerodynamic-testingprojectile-simulationweather-effectshigh-velocity-launchHow Japan’s hypersonic railgun could deter China’s expanding naval ambitions
Japan is advancing its hypersonic electromagnetic railgun technology as a strategic tool to counter China’s expanding naval ambitions in the Pacific, particularly in the East China Sea and western Pacific regions. Recent tests conducted by Japan’s Acquisition Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) demonstrated the railgun’s ability to fire hypersonic projectiles at speeds reaching Mach 6, with improved barrel durability allowing over 200 rounds per barrel. These tests involved firing multiple rounds at moving targets, confirming the weapon’s high velocity, long-range engagement potential, and accuracy. The railgun’s reliance on electricity and metal projectiles offers a significant cost advantage over traditional missile systems, with each shot costing tens of thousands of dollars compared to millions for missile launches, enabling sustained and cost-effective defense against massed attacks. Japan’s railgun development aims to shift the regional balance of power by providing a deterrent capable of neutralizing China’s strategy of overwhelming opponents with large numbers of missiles, drones, and fast-attack craft. The
energyelectromagnetic-railgunhypersonic-technologydefense-technologyJapan-defensestrategic-deterrencemilitary-innovationWorld’s first space delivery vehicle drops supplies in under an hour
Inversion, a Los Angeles-based aerospace and defense startup, has unveiled Arc, the world’s first space delivery vehicle capable of delivering up to 500 pounds of mission-critical cargo from orbit to nearly any location on Earth in under an hour. Arc is a reusable, lifting-body reentry vehicle about 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide, designed to remain in orbit for up to five years, ready to rapidly descend when needed. It can maneuver during reentry with a cross-range of approximately 621 miles and lands safely under parachutes without requiring runways. Its propulsion system uses non-toxic materials, enabling immediate safe handling after landing. The vehicle is intended to deliver a variety of urgent payloads such as medical supplies and drones, emphasizing rapid, mission-enabling logistics. Beyond cargo delivery, Inversion positions Arc as a hypersonic test platform capable of speeds exceeding Mach 20, sustaining extreme conditions and heavy g-forces for extended periods. This capability supports the growing U.S. defense focus
energyaerospacehypersonic-technologyspace-logisticsspacecraftpropulsion-systemsdefense-technologyChina data link could offer faster coordination during hypersonic attacks
China has developed a cutting-edge military communications network specifically designed to meet the extreme demands of hypersonic warfare, where vehicles travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5. Created by the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), this system achieves time synchronization accuracy within five nanoseconds—100 times more precise than NATO’s Link 16 network. It enables secure, real-time coordination among hypersonic vehicles, ground command posts, radar arrays, naval fleets, and satellite intelligence, addressing critical challenges posed by ultra-high speeds, rapidly changing trajectories, and the need for instantaneous battlefield decisions. This advancement marks a significant leap in military communications technology and creates a fully networked strike ecosystem, allowing multiple platforms to operate in seamless coordination. Traditional synchronization methods, such as round-trip time (RTT) algorithms used in existing tactical data links, are inadequate for hypersonic speeds due to asymmetric transmission paths and rapid relative motion between platforms. To overcome these limitations, China’s new system employs an innovative inertial navigation data
IoTmilitary-communicationshypersonic-technologyreal-time-coordinationdata-linknetwork-synchronizationdefense-technologyChina's 'scissor wing' project could revive hypersonic drone concept
Chinese engineers are revisiting the oblique wing aircraft concept, originally developed in the 1940s, which features a single wing that pivots around the fuselage like a scissor blade. This design allows the wing to be perpendicular at low speeds for takeoff and landing, then rotate to align with the fuselage at high speeds, reducing drag and enabling hypersonic flight. Unlike previous variable-sweep wing aircraft like the F-14, the oblique wing uses a simpler mechanism involving just one wing. However, past attempts, such as NASA’s 1970s AD-1, faced significant stability and control challenges. To overcome these issues, the Chinese project incorporates advanced technologies including supercomputers, artificial intelligence for airflow modeling, smart materials, and sensors to manage structural stresses. The design also uses canards, tailplanes, and active control surfaces to maintain stability during wing movement. The aircraft aims to serve as a hypersonic “mother ship” drone carrier capable of Mach
robotdronehypersonic-technologysmart-materialssensorsartificial-intelligenceaerospace-engineeringUS firm teases potential successor to SR-71 Blackbird in new video
GE Aerospace has released a teaser video hinting at the development of a potential hypersonic successor to the iconic SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft. The video showcases a conceptual rendering of a hypersonic jet powered by GE’s dual-mode ramjet (DMRJ) engines, which were first demonstrated in 2024. These engines utilize rotating detonation combustion (RDC) technology, enhancing fuel efficiency and thrust by harnessing detonation waves in an annular chamber. GE claims its DMRJ engine can achieve speeds exceeding Mach 10, significantly surpassing the SR-71’s top speed of Mach 3.2, suggesting a major leap in hypersonic aviation capabilities. The SR-71 Blackbird, operational from 1966 to 1990, was renowned for its high-altitude, high-speed reconnaissance missions, but modern threats like hypersonic missiles traveling above Mach 5 require next-generation aircraft. While Lockheed Martin is already developing the SR-72, an unm
energyaerospacehypersonic-technologydual-mode-ramjetpropulsion-systemsGE-Aerospaceadvanced-materialsHypersonic leap: China’s zirconium discovery boosts reserve 5-fold
China has discovered a massive new reserve of zirconium-bearing minerals in the northern Tarim Basin of Xinjiang province, estimated to be about four times larger than the country's existing zirconium reserves. This is the first significant onshore zirconium deposit found in China, located in sedimentary layers dating from the Paleogene and Neogene eras. The deposit’s average zircon content exceeds 0.2%, and it can potentially be extracted using less energy-intensive methods than usual. This discovery challenges the prevailing notion that large zirconium deposits are primarily found near coastal areas, opening new avenues for geological exploration inland. Zirconium, primarily extracted from the mineral zircon, is a critical metal used extensively in nuclear reactors, hypersonic vehicles, jet engines, and space shuttle components due to its corrosion resistance, high-temperature stability, and low neutron absorption. Despite its relative abundance in the Earth's crust, refining zirconium is costly and complex. China is already a major global producer alongside Australia, Indonesia, South Africa,
materialszirconiumrare-metalshypersonic-technologynuclear-energyChinamineral-reservesEurope’s first hydrogen hypersonic jet aims to fly at Mach 5 speed
The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched the Invictus research program in partnership with UK-based Frazer-Nash, aiming to develop Europe’s first hydrogen-fueled hypersonic jet capable of flying at Mach 5 (3,836 mph). This fully reusable experimental vehicle will utilize a precooled air-breathing propulsion system, building on technology from ESA’s previous SABRE engine studies led by Reaction Engines Ltd. The program, funded through ESA’s General Support Technology Program (GSTP) and Technology Development Element (TDE), seeks to overcome challenges such as extreme heat from shock and friction at hypersonic speeds, enabling horizontal takeoff and sustained flight at Mach 5. The consortium also includes Spirit Aero Systems and Cranfield University, with a preliminary full flight system design targeted within 12 months. Invictus aims to provide a testbed for future hypersonic technologies relevant to aerospace, defense, and space access, marking a significant step toward reusable spaceplanes that can take
energyhydrogen-propulsionhypersonic-technologyaerospace-engineeringESAsustainable-aviationadvanced-materialsFattah: Iran's Mach 15 speeding solid-fueled missiles hit Israel
Iran has launched a new hypersonic ballistic missile named Fattah, capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 15, which successfully penetrated Israel’s air defense systems during the eleventh phase of Operation True Promise III on June 18, 2025. The Fattah is a two-stage, solid-fueled missile equipped with a movable nozzle and an advanced guidance system, enabling high-precision maneuvers both inside and beyond the atmosphere. With a range of approximately 870 miles (1,400 kilometers), the missile’s speed and maneuverability make it difficult for existing anti-missile defenses to intercept. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described this deployment as a “turning point” that effectively ends Israel’s air defense capabilities, causing fires and structural damage across central Israel. In response to the missile attack, Israel conducted airstrikes targeting multiple Iranian military facilities, including helicopter bases, missile production sites, and centrifuge manufacturing locations, aiming to disrupt Iran’s
materialssolid-fueled-missileshypersonic-technologyaerospace-innovationsmissile-guidance-systemsdefense-technologypropulsion-systemsUS hypersonic aircraft to soar at Mach 5+ with new upgraded engines
The U.S. aerospace company Ursa Major has secured a $32.9 million contract to supply 16 upgraded Hadley H13 rocket engines for Stratolaunch’s Talon-A hypersonic test vehicle over several years. These new engines are designed to be more reusable, supporting more flight starts and thus reducing the cost per test. The H13 engine is an evolution of the existing Hadley engine, featuring advanced metals and an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle that provides higher thrust (5,000 lbf) and longer operational lifespans. This upgrade aims to enhance Talon-A’s performance and durability, facilitating more frequent and cost-effective hypersonic flight tests. Talon-A is a reusable hypersonic vehicle capable of flying at speeds exceeding Mach 5 and is air-launched from Stratolaunch’s large carrier aircraft. It serves as a Pentagon test platform for military hypersonic technologies and recently completed its second successful Mach 5+ flight test in May 2025. The
energyaerospacehypersonic-technologyrocket-enginespropulsion-systemsreusable-enginesmilitary-technology