La empresa de Tecnolog\u00edas Hipers\u00f3nicas Hermeus se est\u00e1 asociando con la Unidad de Innovaci\u00f3n de Defensa de EEUU, para demostrar capacidades de vuelo a velocidades hipers\u00f3nicas, a trav\u00e9s\u00a0 de su prototipo de avi\u00f3n comercial Quarterhorse. La Unidad de Innovaci\u00f3n de Defensa (DIU), es una organizaci\u00f3n del Departamento de Defensa (DOD) que impulsa el desarrollo de tecnolog\u00edas de uso comercial, que puedan ser de aplicaci\u00f3n adem\u00e1s en el \u00e1mbito de defensa nacional . EEUU necesita aumentar sus capacidades para pruebas de sistemas hipers\u00f3nicos.<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON \u2014 Hypersonic technology company Hermeus is partnering with the Defense Innovation Unit to\u00a0demonstrate high-speed capabilities<\/a>\u00a0through its commercial prototype aircraft, Quarterhorse.<\/p>\n The Atlanta-based company announced the multiyear contract Nov. 13. While a spokesperson declined to disclose the length of the deal, the company told C4ISRNET it received a $23 million contract for the first year of work.<\/p>\n \u201cThe multiyear award will feature Hermeus\u2019 iterative approach to technology maturation and aircraft development,\u201d the company said in a statement. \u201cThrough this contract, Hermeus will demonstrate key enabling technologies for hypersonic aircraft in relevant environments preparing them for introduction into future programs.\u201d<\/p>\n Those technologies include propulsion systems, thermal management, power generation and mission system capabilities.<\/p>\n The contract is part of the DIU\u2019s\u00a0Hypersonic and High-Cadence Airborne Testing Capabilities program<\/a>, or HyCAT, which is leveraging commercial technology to increase the Defense Department\u2019s hypersonic flight-testing capacity.<\/p>\n The Pentagon has at least 70 programs across the military services that aim to develop hypersonic weapons and aircraft, which can travel at speeds of Mach 5 or higher. However, the infrastructure needed to support\u00a0testing for those programs, including flying testbeds, is in high demand<\/a>. That shortfall limits how often the department can conduct flight tests to validate a system\u2019s full performance or to test supporting technology.<\/p>\n DIU previously awarded HyCAT contracts to\u00a0Hypersonix, an Australian company,<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0California-based firms Rocket Lab<\/a>\u00a0and Fenix space. The agency expects Hypersonix\u2019 DART AE test platform\u00a0to fly as early as next summer<\/a>, with Rocket Lab\u2019s HASTE vehicle providing suborbital launch support.<\/p>\n GE Aerospace will also prototype an affordable air-launched, air-breathing testbed.<\/p>\n \u201cThis suite of current and future commercial capabilities provide the DoD cost-effective, high-cadence test options using the best of today\u2019s recoverable technologies and tomorrow\u2019s reusable technologies,\u201d Barry Kirkendell, technical director of DIU\u2019s space portfolio, said in a Nov. 13 statement.<\/p>\n Hermeus expects Quarterhorse to log its first flight in 2024. The testbed will carry the company\u2019s Chimera turbine-based combined cycle engine, which is built on General Electric\u2019s J85 turbojet system.<\/p>\n The access to flight testing and technology validation opportunities through partnerships with DIU and other defense agencies will not only allow the company plans to mature Quarterhorse and Chimera, but will also contribute to its work on a second vehicle called Dark Horse.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re excited to transition Quarterhorse to deliver high-speed flight test as a service and leverage it to mature the key technologies for Darkhorse,\u201d Hermeus CEO AJ Piplica said in a statement. \u201cThis contract is a key element of our strategy to bridge the valley of death on the way to a future operational hypersonic aircraft program.\u201d<\/p>\n DIU is also pursuing a second phase to the program, dubbed HyCAT 2, focused on working with companies to provide payloads and other technology to integrate onto the test vehicles. That includes alternative navigation and advanced communication payloads, manufacturing technology and low-cost materials.<\/p>\n The organization has partnered with California-based NXTRAC to provide guidance, navigation and control solutions through HyCAT 2.<\/p>\n