Australia Completes First Successful Hypersonic Flight
Australia Completes First Successful Hypersonic Flight
On February 27, 2026, Australia reached a major milestone in aviation history.
Brisbane-based company Hypersonix Launch Systems successfully completed the first flight of its DART AE hypersonic test aircraft.
During the mission, dubbed "That's Not A Knife," the 3.5-meter autonomous vehicle was carried into the upper atmosphere by a Rocket Lab HASTE rocket.
Once deployed, it achieved speeds greater than Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound.
This achievement is significant because the DART AE is powered by a 3D-printed SPARTAN scramjet engine, which runs on hydrogen fuel.
The mission, conducted with the US Defense Innovation Unit, aimed to move beyond laboratory testing to collect real-world flight data.
This success reinforces Australia's growing influence in the global aerospace industry and supports AUKUS Pillar II goals.
By gathering critical data on propulsion, sensors, and materials, the project paves the way for future reusable hypersonic systems, including the planned VISR vehicle, which aims to reach speeds of Mach 12.
