Australia advances hypersonic flight testing with Southern Launch and Hypersonix collaboration

Australia advances hypersonic flight testing with Southern Launch and Hypersonix collaboration
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Sep 15, 2024
South Australia is set to enhance its position as a global aerospace hub following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Southern Launch, a prominent spaceport provider, and Hypersonix Launch Systems, a Queensland-based developer of hypersonic vehicles and scramjet technology. The MoU outlines a collaboration to develop a hypersonic test bed service that will utilize Southern Launch's spaceports for testing.

Hypersonix is known for its expertise in designing and manufacturing hypersonic vehicle technology and scramjet engines. The agreement will see the two companies working together on a mission to launch and return Hypersonix's test bed vehicles, utilizing either of Southern Launch's spaceports.

"South Australia has some geographical advantages that make it the perfect place to test hypersonic vehicles. We are excited to work with the Hypersonix team to help test their groundbreaking technology from our facilities," said Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp.

Hypersonic aircraft travel at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound and require extensive space for testing. Hypersonix's aircraft will be launched on a rocket and will ignite its scramjet engines to achieve speeds of 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. Our hypersonic test bed will make this affordable for these companies to flight qualify their technology," commented Hypersonix CEO Matt Hill.

The companies are set to collaborate on a concept for the future commercial launch and return of a Hypersonix test bed vehicle. Hypersonix's long-term goal is to provide affordable, aircraft-like access to space, with spacecraft deployed at the edge of space and returning to Earth like an airplane. The technology also holds the promise of powering future passenger aircraft, potentially reducing flight times from Adelaide to London to just two hours.

Lloyd Damp added, "The Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex and Koonibba Test Range are designed to be flexible to host a variety of missions. 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 the joint mission is expected to commence immediately, with a launch planned for late 2025.