On 27 February 2026, Hypersonix Launch Systems, the Brisbane-based company pioneering hypersonic flight technologies, successfully completed the maiden flight of its hypersonic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), known as the DART AE. This achievement represents a significant milestone in the development of advanced hypersonic systems.
The DART AE lifted-off on 27 February at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (28 February, 1:00 a.m. CET) from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 at the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia.
The unmanned hypersonic aircraft was launched as part of “That’s Not a Knife” mission (named “Cassowary Vex” by the Defense Innovation Unit), using Rocket Lab’s HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) rocket – the suborbital test vehicle derived from the standard Electron rocket. The flight was conducted under the supervision of the US Department of War and its Defense Innovation Unit.
Shortly after launch, the HASTE rocket successfully reached the planned deployment point in the upper atmosphere, at which the DART AE separated from its launch vehicle. Then, the 3.5-metre autonomous hypersonic aircraft ignited its SPARTAN scramjet engine, successfully executing its mission. The valuable technical data gathered by the DART AE during its first flight will be analysed by the engineering team over the coming weeks.
“This mission allowed us to test propulsion, materials and control systems in real hypersonic conditions. At these speeds and temperatures, there is no substitute for flight data. The results from this mission will directly shape the design of future operational hypersonic aircraft,”– said Dr Michael Smart, co-founder of Hypersonix Launch Systems, a former NASA research scientist and former Chair of Hypersonic Propulsion at the University of Queensland, emphasising that the mission confirmed years of technical work.
Matt Hill, CEO of Hypersonix Launch Systems, stated that the successful mission of the DART AE demonstrator represents a key moment not only for his company, but also for Australia’s advanced aerospace capabilities.
“This flight reflects years of focused engineering work and the confidence placed in us by our partners. Successfully flying DART AE in a true hypersonic environment confirms that an Australian company can design, build and operate technology in one of the most demanding flight regimes on Earth. It is an important step towards delivering hypersonic systems that are operationally relevant for Australia and its allies,” – said Matt Hill.
DART AE is the autonomous flying technology demonstrator and the world’s first entirely 3D-printed airframe of a hypersonic launch vehicle. It is powered by a fully 3D-printed, hydrogen-fuelled SPARTAN scramjet engine, emitting zero CO2 during flight. The aircraft weighs only 300 kilograms and can reach the speed of Mach 7, while its engine was designed to operate at speeds of up to Mach 12. The maximum flight range of the DART AE is 1,000 kilometres.
Designed for rapid production and scalability, the DART AE uses commercially available, flight-proven materials and additive manufacturing techniques. By utilising optimised components and processes to produce the DART AE, the company can provide reliable, low-cost, high-cadence flight capabilities with its hypersonic aircraft. Although the DART AE is purpose-built for testing hypersonic capabilities, it is designed to fit national security, government, and defence programmes with potential for global scalability.
Hypersonic flight refers to speeds exceeding Mach 5, which is more than five times the speed of sound. The Hypersonix Launch Systems company is developing a new class of autonomous hypersonic aircraft capable of flying at speeds of up to Mach 12, with the DART AE serving as its flagship vehicle.
Cover photo: Hypersonix’s DART AE demonstrator vehicle. © Hypersonix Launch Systems.
Information from the Hypersonix Launch Systems company press releases were used.
