Revealed today (Oct 28), the order will see the development of SPARTAN, a composite, self-igniting re-usable scramjet engine powered by green hydrogen that can be used to power a re-usable satellite launch system, delivering payloads to lower earth orbit (LEO) in an environmentally sustainable way.
Read more: Hypersonix successfully demonstrates hydrogen-powered SPARTAN engine for spaceflight
Read more: Hypersonix opens international office to accelerate hydrogen spaceflight ambitions
In utilising green hydrogen, the SPARTAN launch system emits no carbon emissions, cementing the systems position in carbon free launches.
SPARTAN’s fixed geometry also means it has no moving parts so the design can be created using a 3D printer to both reduce time and cost to produce the scramjet.
Another unique factor in using green hydrogen is that is also allows Hypersonix to utilise regenerative cooling on the combustor allowing the use of readily available high temperature alloys in place of more expensive and complex high temperature composites.
David Waterhouse, Managing Director and co-founder of Hypersonix Launch Systems, said, “The use of Additive Engineering to manufacture a scramjet engine will fundamentally disrupt the cost structure of scramjets and an important step in providing more affordable access to hypersonic flight.
“We are very proud of Australia’s world leading heritage in hypersonics and the ability of Australian companies to work together to demonstrate of Sovereign capability in this New Space technology.”
Michael Bourchier, Founder and Managing Director of Amiga Engineering, said, “In a demanding industry such as aerospace, additive manufacturing offers the cutting edge in component manufacture capable of creating very complex parts in some of the most exotic materials.
“With thousands of hours of research and development in every part, the aerospace industry settles for nothing but the best. We are extremely excited to work with Hypersonix Launch systems on the world’s first 3D printed fixed geometry scramjet engine.”
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