US startup Hermeus aims to make high-Mach flight testing more accessible with Ramjet-X, a low-cost, expendable test vehicle powered by a ramjet engine.
The test vehicle will ride aboard the company’s reusable Quarterhorse aircraft until it reaches the speed and altitude required for release.
Once released, Ramjet-X will begin ramjet-powered flight and accelerate to higher Mach speeds, while Quarterhorse returns to base to support another mission.
According to the company, the new platform can accommodate payloads, sensors, communications and computing systems, autonomy software, material samples, propulsion technologies, and other experimental hardware.
The vehicle will underpin Hermeus’ Flight Test as a Service model, allowing developers to evaluate emerging technologies under conditions that are typically expensive and difficult to access.
By supplying the vehicle, launch architecture, and supporting infrastructure, Hermeus aims to eliminate the need for customers to build a dedicated aircraft and testing program for each experiment.
“High-speed flight testing is extremely expensive, and you don’t get many shots at it,” said Zach Shore, chief executive officer of Hermeus.
“Ramjet-X… bringing speed, sustained flight, and scalability all into one system lowers the barriers to gathering extremely valuable data from these conditions and accelerates programs for both us and our customers.”
Testing Begins in 2027
Development is underway, including work on Ramjet-X’s high-temperature structures at Hermeus’ headquarters in El Segundo, California.
The company is also testing the vehicle’s ramjet engine at its High Enthalpy Air-Breathing Test facility in Jacksonville, Florida.
Integrated testing is scheduled to begin in 2027.
