ADFA goes hypersonic
17th December 2003
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UNSW researchers at the Australian Defence Force Academy will be key players in a national hypersonics research program designed to keep Australia at the forefront of hypersonics technology.
The Australian Hypersonics Initiative will build on Australia’s success in this area, demonstrated by last year’s successful launch of the world’s first experimental flight of an air-breathing supersonic ramjet engine (scramjet). This success attracted widespread interest in Australia’s hypersonics research.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), establishing the initiative, was signed today in Brisbane between the University of Queensland, the Australian National University, UNSW at ADFA, the Queensland Department of State Development, the South Australian Office of Economic Development and the Commonwealth Government, represented by the Chief Defence Scientist Dr. Roger Lough.
Dr. Lough said the synergies in the participating organisations would enable Australia to establish a world-leading capability in hypersonics. “We must capitalise on our existing expertise, using it creatively and cooperatively to position ourselves as leaders in this technology,” he said.
Hypersonics is the study of speeds more than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5). Last year’s test flight reached speeds of 7.6 Mach, proving that the scramjet engine was viable. The technology is applicable to low-cost launching of satellites and high-speed missile propulsion.
The Australian Hypersonics Initiative will build on Australia’s success in this area, demonstrated by last year’s successful launch of the world’s first experimental flight of an air-breathing supersonic ramjet engine (scramjet). This success attracted widespread interest in Australia’s hypersonics research.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), establishing the initiative, was signed today in Brisbane between the University of Queensland, the Australian National University, UNSW at ADFA, the Queensland Department of State Development, the South Australian Office of Economic Development and the Commonwealth Government, represented by the Chief Defence Scientist Dr. Roger Lough.
Dr. Lough said the synergies in the participating organisations would enable Australia to establish a world-leading capability in hypersonics. “We must capitalise on our existing expertise, using it creatively and cooperatively to position ourselves as leaders in this technology,” he said.
Hypersonics is the study of speeds more than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5). Last year’s test flight reached speeds of 7.6 Mach, proving that the scramjet engine was viable. The technology is applicable to low-cost launching of satellites and high-speed missile propulsion.
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