New agreement to develop hypersonic aircraft testing in South Australia

Leading South Australian spaceport provider Southern Launch and Queensland aerospace company Hypersonix Launch Systems have teamed up to develop ground-breaking hypersonic flight testing capabilities in South Australia.

The companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together on developing a hypersonic test bed service from e Southern Launch’s spaceports at Koonibba Test Range or Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex.

Hypersonix is an aerospace engineering, design and manufacturing company, specialising in hypersonic vehicle technology and scramjet engine. The strategic agreement paves the way for Hypersonix to launch and return its test bed vehicles, with plans for the first mission in late 2025.

Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp said the strategic agreement will not only develop hypersonic vehicle technology in Australia, but further cements South Australia’s position as the next global aerospace hub.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

Hypersonic aircraft fly at more than five times the speed of sound and require plenty of space to test and evaluate the technology. To reach hypersonic speeds the Hypersonix’s aircraft will be launched on a rocket before separating and igniting its own scramjet engines to reach speeds up to Mach 12.

Hypersonix CEO Matt Hill said the MoU supports the company’s long-term goal of providing aircraft with affordable access to space.

“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,” he said. “Our hypersonic test bed will make this affordable for these companies to flight qualify their technology.”