NASA's Hypersonic Technology Project aims to develop reusable, airbreathing hypersonic aircraft capable of sustained cruise at speeds five times the speed of sound. Toward this goal, it awarded contracts to SpaceWorks Enterprises and Stratolaunch to study modifications of existing platforms (X-60 and Talon-A) to enable affordable, high-cadence flight testing bridging ground and flight tests.
The six-month studies focus on defining capabilities to meet reusable, routine hypersonic flight test needs. While NASA leads development, industry collaboration is central to identifying viable vehicle concepts that could support future hypersonic technology advancement projects.
Source & further reading
NASA Aims to Advance Hypersonic Flight Testing with New Awards ↗Source published 2026-01-30. This report was prepared with AI assistance from the linked primary-source material. Claims and limitations should be checked against the original announcement or research.