Scramjet-powered hypersonic aircraft to launch from Virginia
NewsFebruary 25, 2026
WALLOPS ISLAND, Virginia. Hypersonix Launch Systems is preparing for the first mission of its scramjet-powered hypersonic aircraft, with a launch window scheduled to open at 4 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Feb. 25, the company announced in a statement.
The flight will use DART AE, a 3.5-meter autonomous hypersonic aircraft, which Hypersonix says will be carried to the upper atmosphere aboard Rocket Lab’s HASTE rocket from Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. Hypersonix says DART AE is designed to separate at a planned deployment point, after which its SPARTAN scramjet engine will ignite to conduct the vehicle’s hypersonic flight profile.
Hypersonix describes hypersonic flight as speeds above Mach 5 and says SPARTAN is designed for speeds up to Mach 12. The mission is being conducted on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit, according to the statement. Hypersonix also notes it recently completed a $46 million Series A funding round backed by multiple investors, the company says.
