Australian company Hypersonix completes first hypersonic test flight

Australian company Hypersonix Launch Systems said its DART AE demonstrator completed its first flight on February 27, reaching speeds above Mach 5 after launch from NASA’s Wallops Island, Virginia.

The mission, titled “That’s Not A Knife,” lifted off at 7:00 p.m. Eastern from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport aboard Rocket Lab’s HASTE launch vehicle. The flight was conducted under the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit.

HASTE carried the DART AE to a planned deployment point in the upper atmosphere, where the vehicle separated and conducted its hypersonic flight profile. The company said the aircraft gathered flight data on propulsion, materials, sensors and guidance systems for post-mission analysis.

Hypersonic flight is generally defined as speeds above Mach 5. Hypersonix is developing autonomous hypersonic aircraft designed for sustained flight at speeds up to Mach 12. The DART AE is a 3.5-meter vehicle intended as a technology demonstrator for high-speed propulsion and control in operational conditions.

Co-founder Michael Smart said the mission provided flight data under sustained hypersonic conditions, which he described as critical for validating system performance. Chief executive Matt Hill said the flight confirmed the company’s ability to design, build and operate a hypersonic test vehicle.

The flight follows a A$46 million Series A funding round backed by Australia’s National Reconstruction Fund Corporation and Queensland Investment Corporation. The round was led by UK-based High Tor Capital, with participation from Saab and Polish investor RKKVC.

Hypersonix said the funding will support additional flight tests, expansion of manufacturing capability in Queensland and development of its next platform, VISR (Velos Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance). The company employs more than 50 staff in Brisbane across engineering, manufacturing and testing roles.

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