Solid-fueled ramjet tested in supersonic flights by GE Aerospace
NewsSeptember 23, 2025
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida. GE Aerospace completed a series of supersonic captive carry flight tests of its Atmospheric Test of Launched Airbreathing System (ATLAS) Flight Test Vehicle, advancing development of solid-fueled ramjet (SFRJ) propulsion, the company announced in a statement.
The ATLAS system was carried aloft on a Starfighters F-104 aircraft for three flights, during which the vehicle achieved supersonic speeds, the statement reads. According to the company, the use of reusable flight test hardware enables repeated evaluation of system behavior under atmospheric conditions.
The project is funded by the Department of Defense through Title III of the Defense Production Act to support scale-up of solid-fueled ramjet propulsion for extended-range munitions, the company says. This phase of testing is intended to validate SFRJ performance parameters and provide data for future high-speed and hypersonic systems.
GE Aerospace added that the program complements its broader investments in hypersonic propulsion, including facility upgrades in Ohio and New York and its 2022 acquisition of Innoveering.
