HyShot

The HyShot Flight Program is an experiment designed to develop a correlation between pressure measurements made of supersonic combustion in The University of Queensland's T4 shock tunnel, and that which is observed in flight.  This correlation will be developed with a scramjet configuration that retains the essential components for supersonic combustion. Two flights have been made - one on 30 October 2001 and another on 30 July 2002.  Supersonic combustion was achieved on the second flight. 

The second test flight which reached speeds of Mach 7.6, proved that the scramjet engine was viable. The technology will be useful for low-cost satellite launches and high-speed missile propulsion. Three experimental scramjet flights are planned to be launched from Woomera in late 2005.

The HyShot Program uses a two stage Terrier-Orion Mk70 rocket to boost the payload and the empty Orion motor (the Orion motor remains attached to the payload) to an apogee of approximately 330km.  As the spent motor and its attached payload falls back to Earth, they gather speed, and the trajectory is designed so that between 35km and 23km, they are travelling at Mach 7.6.  It is during this part of the trajectory that the measurements of supersonic combustion are made.

University of Queensland Vice Chancellor Professor John Hay said at the centenary of powered flight that Australia had the largest pool of University-based hypersonic researchers in the world, with some of the most advanced equipment for simulating velocities up to 50 times the speed of sound.

"We have more than 20 years of experience in hypersonics research and today's agreement gives us the opportunity to build on that success by advancing hypersonics expertise in concert with our colleagues in other universities and Defence," Professor Hay said.

"There are significant opportunities for the application of hypersonics technology, especially in space exploration," Professor Hay said. "By taking a national approach such as we have agreed to do, Australia will be well placed to make the most of those opportunities."

Space-based services are a growing area of international business, with the Global Positioning System estimated to have injected $US40 billion to the annual Gross National Product of the USA alone.

"Australia stands to gain a share of this huge market by a collective effort to grow its hypersonics expertise and participate in international projects," Professor Hay said.

Australia has achieved a number of important "firsts" in hypersonics, including:

• the invention of the `free piston` driver for impulse facilities, which enabled realistic simulation of high speed flight in the laboratory for the first time;
• the development of the first scramjet engine to deliver more thrust than drag;
• the first successful flight test of a scramjet combustor; and the
• development of the first `super-orbital` aerodynamic test facilities.

These are core capabilities for the development of a commercially viable space industry, which will depend on the use of revolutionary propulsion and flight concepts. The combined expertise in theoretical and applied hypersonics, together with the availability of unique resources has given Australia an important niche and a well-respected position in the global space community.

Australia has collaborated on hypersonics research with all the major space nations, including: USA, UK, Japan, India, South Korea, China, Russia, Canada, France and Germany. Australian firms, Alesi Technologies, NQEA, AECA, Luxfer Australia and Jet Air Cargo, and BAE Systems Australia are also involved.

• The University of Queensland HyShot Website can be found at http://www.mech.uq.edu.au/hyper/hyshot/
• The HyShot Commercial Website can be found at http://www.hyshot.info