University of Queensland (UQ) hypersonics researchers – in collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Group (DST Group) and US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Boeing, and BAE Systems – carried out a test flight in July 2017 which has brought the proposition of commercial hypersonic flight one step closer to reality.
This vehicle is a free-flying hypersonic glider, designed to fly at Mach 8 (8000 km/h). It is designed to separate from its rocket booster in space and perform controlled maneuvers as it enters the atmosphere. The test flight was intended to enable learning about how to fly a hypersonic vehicle at high altitude.
