Interestingly, despite the veil of secrecy that usually accompanies Defense Department hypersonics research, DIU has opened the solicitation to international vendors. Total experimental payload capacity of at least 20 pounds with accommodation for payload electrical power.Capable of being certified to operate in the US or allied flight test ranges under existing flight test safety regulations.Three-minute minimum flight in a relevant hypersonic test environment with near-constant flight conditions, of at least 1,000 pounds-per-square foot dynamic pressure.1 solicitation, other “capabilities of interest” that may give competitors an edge are: This allows for more rapid evaluation of new tech, design iteration, etc,” the spokesperson said.Īccording to DIU’s Sept. “Eventually, we’d like to be testing weekly. The DIU solicitation notes interest in an aircraft that can “turnaround to a second subsequent test within 60 days.” But the spokesperson said the ultimate goal is a much higher flight cadence. “Things are changing, there are now a healthy number of companies looking at commercial applications of hypersonics!,” they said.Ī key requirement is the ability for the experimental aircraft not only to be “recoverable and reusable,” but to get back in the air quickly after a test flight.

Transition for this initiative will depend on what type of responses we get from industry,” the DIU spokesperson said.Īnd while it may seem odd that DIU is seeking commercial expertise, since much of the US research in hypersonics has been for NASA or military purposes, the agency’s spokesperson explained that there actually is growing interest in the commercial world. “We want to provide a modular, rapid testing capability that any joint partner could adapt for their own use. A March 2021 report by the Governmental Accounting Office found that of the 26 DoD, NASA and Energy Department wind tunnels capable of supporting hypersonic research, 14 were built in the 1970s. In addition, current infrastructure is aging.

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