Queensland-based Gilmour Space Technologies and Hypersonix Launch Systems have signed an agreement to develop hypersonic flight-test capabilities for defence and commercial programs in Australia and overseas. The partnership combines Gilmour Space’s rocket propulsion, launch, mission integration, and flight-test capabilities with Hypersonix’s scramjet propulsion and hypersonic vehicle technology.
Hypersonic flight generally involves speeds of Mach 5 or higher, equivalent to at least five times the speed of sound. The companies said demand for testing is increasing as developers advance technologies including sensors, communications, guidance systems, and high-temperature materials for operation in extreme flight environments.
The partnership is intended to provide customers with more frequent and accessible opportunities to develop, test, and demonstrate hypersonic technologies. It will also explore solutions for Australian and allied defence programs, including initiatives under AUKUS Pillar II.
Hypersonix brings experience in autonomous hypersonic aircraft and scramjet systems. In February 2026, its DART AE vehicle completed its first hypersonic flight, reaching speeds above Mach 5 during a mission launched from NASA’s Wallops Island facility in the United States.
The companies will also work to retain critical intellectual property, skills, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing capabilities in Australia, strengthening the country’s sovereign hypersonic industrial base. Both Gilmour Space and Hypersonix are portfolio companies of the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation.
