Brisbane hydrogen-fuelled scramjets land major investment
A Queensland-based aerospace company will accelerate development of its hydrogen-powered scramjet engine technology after receiving significant investment from an Australian government fund.
The National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC) has made its first investment in the defence sector, with a $10 million equity investment to help Brisbane-based Hypersonix Launch Systems test, develop and manufacture its next-generation hypersonic aircraft.
Hypersonix – spun out of University of Queensland research in 2019 – is developing scramjet engines for low-earth orbit travel. The company is a global leader in hypersonic technology, and its single-use DART vehicle is a hydrogen-powered scramjet aircraft that travels between Mach 5 and March 7.
The investment is part of a $46 million Series A funding round led by High Tor Capital with co-investment from QIC and global defence investors SaaB and RKKVC.
NRFC CEO David Gall said defence was one of the Australian government-established organisations’ priority areas.
The fund had $15 billion to invest on its formation in 2023, and was established to focus on seven priority areas for the government, including: resources, agriculture, defence, transport, medical science, renewables and advanced technology.
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“We see huge potential in backing Australian companies and innovations that build our sovereign capability while also tapping into the global market for hypersonic and counter-hypersonic capabilities among our friends and allies,” Gall said.
Hypersonix was aiming to build and commercialise its scramjet-propelled vehicles for dual-use applications, culminating in low-earth orbit travel.
The company said the funding would pay for product development, the establishment of advanced manufacturing capabilities in Queensland, and hypersonic testing of its DART vehicles by the US government.
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It claimed its unique hydrogen-fuelled engines burn cleanly while allowing for faster and longer flights.
The firm’s roadmap includes a reusable eight-metre unmanned aircraft that flies at Mach 5-10 and lands on a standard runway, as well as a reusable 16-metre aircraft that flies at Mach 5-12 and can be used for satellite launches and low-earth supply runs.
The first DART test flights would take place at NASA early next year, the company said.
Gall said Australia “has been a global leader in hypersonic technology since 1989, and the technology developed at the University of Queensland has the potential to be used in defence, satellite launches and commercial aviation”.
“Investing in Hypersonix will help to boost Australia’s aerospace capabilities by creating highly skilled design, engineering, and manufacturing jobs in regional Queensland.”
Hypersonix CEO Matt Hill said he was “extremely proud to have the NRFC join our cap table”.
“Their investment is a significant endorsement of our mission and the extraordinary team behind it,” he said.
“This is a defining moment for Hypersonix, and one that reflects the growing national recognition of the need for sovereign aerospace capability.”
