Hypersonia Thrives

The pandemic year has been an accelerant for hypersonics. Typically, Covid-19 hastens the existing trajectories in many industries. The digital platforms, for instance, are growing more. Pre-Covid-19, few knew about hypersonics, but in the last one year, so much has been achieved.

It is indeed a glorious year for Hypersonia despite the layoffs and recession in the aerospace sector. The future is surely Scramjetry. Which is the jet-like manifestations of jetry in rocketry, and the latter’s combinations with jetry. Most of these developments have been highlighted on this platform.

The end of the interesting year is producing a flurry of activities. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Aerojet Rocketdyne have demonstrated the world’s most durable and powerful airbreathing scramjet. And cheaper using advanced materials & techniques.

Breaking the previously held record by Northrop Grumman. The ground test ran for one hour producing sustained 13 000 pounds of thrust at various hypersonic speeds. Though, the highest speed attained is not being provided, the intuition is that it ran over Mach 19.

The outputs and performance of such an engine, make any earthbound flight under 30 minutes a reality. And from such making turboscramjet, in various technological compositions, and in different numerical combinations depending on the weights of the aircrafts, are possible. This exhilarating development is ground-breaking. And will be more transformative when the civilian aerospace sector starts designing airframes around it.

The recent acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne (AR) by Lockheed Martin (LM) is an interesting one. Running counter to the wisdom that independent making helps in creating diverse innovations. AR is an arch-armourer of the US government, and the approval of the merger coming at a time when the global race is heating up.

LM is making tremendous progress with different hypersonic weapon designs. And acquiring a company, which has always supply it with engines, thus in order. Such further speeding up the integrated airframe-engine making that favours hypersonics. There is, however, a need to consider the strategic implication of the deal for the development of civilian hypersonic planes.

The race for military supremacy in making highly manoeuvrable cannons, missiles, and glide bombs, can take all the attention. The other established engine maker with proven Scramjetry is Pratt & Whitney. Itself a subsidiary of a strong military contractor. General Electric (GE) still developing its Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) is also not fully independent. Leaving only the start-up – Hermeus as the pureplay independent civilian Scramjetry. Reaction Engines and Fenris standing to join the fray.

To enlarge the choices for civilian Scramjetry, it is imperative that the parent companies consider creating a corporate model, which prevents strategic insularity. So that the engine makers can be opened to working with companies eyeing the civilian hypersonic flight market. A majority owned spinout is an option for these military contractors.

Companies such as BAE, Honeywell, and QinetiQ with dormant Scramjetry can seriously consider this option. Honeywell is leading with investment into AI and Quantum computing, such can be considered for advancing its latent Scramjetry. Otherwise, a majority owned spinout can be considered.

Whilst Space X is leading other liquid-fuelled rocket makers pivoting to considering powering earthbound hypersonic flights, becoming airbreathers. One of such is Astra, which has for the first time successfully blasted its small rocket into space. Another start-up – Ultra Safe Nuclear Technologies, is making nuclear-powered rockets for spaceflight.

Scramjetry enables spacefaring. Reaction Engines recently won a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for using its technologies. Its SABRE turborocket powering a spaceplane to near space before a rocket completes the terminal flight into space with the payload.

This development opening the pathway to earthbound stratospheric flights.

Hyperplanes

The possibility of horizontal take-off & landing (HTHL) earthbound flights is ever near. The future which is powered by Scramjetry. Hypersonix Launch System is now developing ‘Wirraway’. A spaceplane named after the town hosting its test facilities. Pointing to reducing its 3-stage system to a 2-stage one that is similar to Reaction Engines’ design. The scramjet powered HTHL plane lifting a rocket which delivers the payload into space.

The possibility that the Mach 6+ Fighter is the 6th Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) by Lockheed Martin is still on. Even as GE has recently won a contract from the US Navy for reengining its F-18 carrier-based jetfighters. Doubling down on Scramjetry offers GE, the best route to moving from present management to future-creation.

The NGAD having drone variants. Autonomous drone warfare emerging. The US rapidly translating its X-programmes into fully operational crafts. As a loyal wingman, or an independent craft using AI, drones are becoming better missile slingers and as aerial pylons for relaying communications amongst fighters. The development of direct 1-to-1 communication system within a cyber-hardened tele-network, is the best solution, notwithstanding.

Drones are even contributing to addressing problems during the pandemic. Being used for ferrying supplies, another technology being favoured by Covid-induced innovation & investment. These drones are increasingly being powered by jet engines, and soon by airbreathing rockets and scramjets.

Airbreathers

The future of flight is airbreathing hypersonic engines. These using different available and emerging fuel sources. The scramjets by both Aerojet Rocketdyne and Northrop Grumman (NG) are using existing jet fuels. These hydrocarbons are running in parallel with those using hydrogen such as the SABRE engine.

The LACE group of engines has using hydrogen fuel as its centre. The need for entrepreneurship and innovation in this interesting design, is strategic. It will not only speed up the development of hydrogen for powering subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic flights. Also, can contribute to mainstreaming hydrogen as the choice-fuel.

The bane of hydrogen is the lack of a dispensing & supplying infrastructure similar to hydrocarbons. Such has been previously highlighted on this series. Thus, the flourishing of innovations to address this shortcoming. An opportunity opens for rocket or scramjet makers using methane as fuel. As it is a suitable vector for carrying hydrogen in extant pipelines without the need for developing expensive cryogenic or compressor storage-transportation systems.

The chemistry and extant infrastructure favour the use of ammonia (NH3) as an aviation fuel source. Reaction Engines is developing it as fuel source for its engines. And there is a Japanese start-up – GenCell using it for powering fuel-cells, although its plant will require massive miniaturisation to becoming aviation-grade.

NH3 carries more hydrogen per atom, and with the right chemical or thermal catalysis breaks down into its constituent parts. Such capability tickles the minds of any innovators to develop Air Enhanced Combustion Engines (ACES).

These forms of jet-scramjet engines are in-flight crucibles for chemical reactions. Taking off with on-board NH3 being converted in-flight into hydrogen for stratospheric and space flights. Such can power fuel cells for short haul subsonic planes, and liquid hydrogen for powering long haul supersonic and hypersonic flights.

A better design is the one using a heat exchanger converting in-flight, atmospheric hydrogen and nitrogen into ammonia. Taking advantage of less bulky or strenuous on-board tankage design. And one which can easily & instantaneously convert the NH3 into hydrogen for combustion, without the need for developing expensive and space-taking on-board hydrogen-specific tankage.

Moreover, the further improvements of heat exchangers capable of dualling as a refrigerator reducing on-board weight, will also make a difference. Using an innovation by Phononics[1], a microchip-like cooling device, also comes into mind.

The ACES design is suitable for taking advantage of such invention. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main pollutant from burning hydrocarbon fuels. And it is damaging for the engines as well. The recent news that with metallic catalysis, CO2 is converted into jet fuel is a spur for innovation. Different ACES-like designs for making jet fuel in-flight, killing one bird with two stones. Long-serving and high-performing engines as no CO2 is contaminating.

The development of better performing rockets also receiving such ‘greening’. Reaction Engines is working with Nammo in the new National Space Propulsion Test Facility at Westcott, for using its heat exchanger for reducing high temperature exhaust plume to an incredibly low one. Such helping in prolonging the life of the rocket motor and the body of the vehicle.

This and other developments will advance Scramjetry. Northrop Grumman is ramping up investment into its hypersonic test facilities. The New Hypersonic Aerothermal Research and Testing facility is capable of simulating real-life Mach 8 flight in a cleaner manner. Possibly located at Long Island. No doubt working to go over the recent landmark achievement by Lockheed Martin.

RDE-rockets are being made better with constant and regular detonation. Such improvements increasing the performance & productivity of the engine, even as its size is reducing. Thus, more thrust and throughput. Proving that an integrated RDE-Scramjet design is possible and workable.

Research work are being carried out by University of Purdue and University of Central Florida in the US. The recent assent by the President of the United States to promote nuclear propulsion for space flight will also advance Scramjetry.

Hypersonia is thriving. And the actions and activities taking place in cities and countries are the impetus.

Creating

The nations and cities which have the better and deeper linkages amongst their quasi-military and mainstream markets, are the ones to lead in the emerging economy. The industry sprouting and the public and private laboratories & universities seeding in a productive innovation system.

Many nations have high manufacturing and advanced services, but are fearful of making bold steps. Thus, they are complacent with incremental or additional innovations. Many of these countries are still leading economies, and the difficulty of other fast-following nations to organically innovate to advance, further breeding complacency.

Breakthrough innovations such as Scramjetry and airbreathing hypersonic engines, require an innovation structure, which produces resident knowledge and fosters private entrepreneurialism and sound public stewardship.

Digitisation is enabling the unbundling of manufacturing services from the main factory-level process. Airbus showing that such unbundling is not a given. As many others, it is using 3D printing, but also developing a system with quantum computing for optimising its product & process designs, and its supply chains.

Creating a platform for selecting the best spare parts and suppliers, whilst also reducing its carbon footprints. The US Airforce with Caltech is developing such system as well. Adding AI and blockchain to the mix, brings more intelligent and trusted selection to the process. The quest for perfecting quantum computing is also reinforcing the possibility of developing different novel materials. Superimposing qubits showing emerging innovations in novel materials.

Cities are places for innovation. Florida is a leading one. OneWeb has its manufacturing facilities there, even as there is a plan to move some of the making to the UK very soon. A move that is aligning investor’s interest with its strategic intent.

Florida, as other cities worldwide with resident digital competence and established propulsion business & making, is showing the way in the new hypersonic-centric economy. Operational spaceports are getting busier, even as dormant ones are being refurbished. Astra is considering using Orlando as its port for rapid launching.

The dispersion of innovation activities from a place to another is a means of seeding others. It happened when entrepreneurs left Boston for Silicon Valley (SV). Or when Microsoft started out in Seattle. It is happening again as innovators are beginning to depart from SV to other states.

Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Tennessee, and other southern states are benefitting. The outpouring if properly harnessed, gives America a strategic opportunity for regenerating its regional economies. Boeing for instance, with a nation-wide system of factories and laboratories is standing to play a key role. In making the aerospace sector combining with local digital competence for creating new jobs and services.

David Morgenthaler a pioneer venture capitalist, left the Rust Belt for SV because his efforts to regenerate the old industrial region were tentative[2]. No longer. Things are changing fast. Pittsburgh noted for its iron furnaces, is fast emerging as the city for AI, autonomous vehicles, and robotics. Astrobotic, the leading space robotic start-up is located there. Colorado is home to some rocketmakers and hosts Altius Space Machine, a leading contender in the emerging in-space manufacturing & services sphere.

Even cities and states hitherto noted for agriculture are not being left behind. Huntsville, Alabama is now the home of rocketry. Fenris in Montana standing to create an airbreathing rocketry hub based on a novel design. The American economy is huge and diverse, and its strong inter-state or inter-city linkages support such continental expansionism. Finance from New York and Silicon Valley can follow civic and regional sprouting, digitisation even making such ever possible.

The geographical sparseness of Long Island dilutes the effects of its digital sprouts. Most British cities and towns do not have such hassle. Higher population density gives an advantage in hastening the agglomeration and scaling up of digital hotspots. Fast-tracking hubbing, and promoting organic hypersonic craftsmanship in the way Reaction Engine is doing at Abingdon, affords.

The development of the 6th Generation TEMPEST contributing to regenerating old facilities and host-towns. Employees of BAE Systems at Brough in Northern England are facing retrenchment from the closing down of extant aeroplane manufacturing. It is, however, receiving a new seed of emerging technologies.

The designing of the fighter and submarines arising, affording novel digital and mechanical creations. A ‘British Rustbelt’ showing the way for township renewal. Some of these departing employees can consider creating start-ups with their expertise. Designing & making hypersonic engines is an opportunity for leaving a lasting imprint in the industry.

A main challenge being faced by start-ups is access to finance. Advances in digital technologies offering remedies. Fintech and blockchain-enabled financing are rising, and Britain has a strong lead in this sphere. Square, for instance, came out of an old industrial city of St Louis. Canary Wharf in London arose from the ashes of a lost industrial & shipping heritage.

With the ramping up of 5G tele-networks, distributed creations can receive adequate financing using such solutions. A means to further encourage blockchain currency platforms for financing non-native innovations, affords as well. It is often the case that investors wait for innovators to approach them for finance.

Investors are now more knowledgeable and have access to information databases and hubs. They can go out and spur innovation. The new lease of life being enjoyed by SPAC – a knowledge-driven investment attracting vehicle is one. Adding to its supersonic flight portfolio, the space-based global mobile satellite communication start-up – AST & Science and in-space manufacturer – Momentus. Sprouting hypersonic innovations will, however, help in cementing its legacy.

The making of investment into hypersonics may seem daunting or prohibitive. Aerion Corporation pivoting to making hypersonic planes is not being deterred though. As it is ramping up investment into various hyper speed technologies. Corporate finance offers. Honeywell can conduct a majority ownership spinout of its Garrett Ai’s hypersonic programme, acting as a venture capitalist for its commercialisation.

The roles of universities in commercialising ideas and inventions, ever increasing. These places of education are founts of innovations. Their low patenting outputs, notwithstanding, they are contributing to advancing Scramjetry. One underappreciated contribution is the emergence of low orbit space communication[3]. Universities from Australia, Canada, UK, US and elsewhere were instrumental in kickstarting the revolution. Turning academic and amateurish tinkering into a global business, making & servicing. 

University of Surrey in England, for instance, instrumental in perfecting & commercialising microsatellites. So also, is Caltech in creating the cubesat/nanosat revolution. The University of Strathclyde in Scotland is making contributions to this field as well. AAC Clyde, the Glasgow-based nanosatellite maker benefitting from such academic R&D.

The quest for reusability of rockets is ever ramping up. The economic benefits are enormous, thus, the fervour. One idea is using nanotechnology for making from the ground up biodegradable rockets. AAC, however, has a different idea. Flying back rockets from space re-entering the earth’s atmosphere without burning off. The development of such technology is the basis of its government-funded project with SpaceForge.

Reusable workshop-like satellites for in-space manufacturing. Such breakthrough requiring advances in materials and propulsion technologies. Offering another possibility for reducing space debris. Old satellites made with such technological capability, de-orbiting in one piece back to earth. Preventing debris falling on & destroying innocent properties and residents. Recovered crafts, can either be refurbished, refuelled, and relaunched. Or having their parts broken down and recycled for making better rockets or satellites.

The innovation will contribute to beaming sun power from space to earth easier. The Air Force Research Laboratory recently received a space-bound reflector from Northrop Grumman. The Arachne can be repaired in-space by such reusable factory-satellites.

The possibilities for cities, companies and countries are enormous in the emerging Hypersonia. Colleges – universities also creating economic & technological opportunities. Such an entity always advancing, frontiering and pushing boundaries, never standing still. Constant innovations yielding improved and new products and services.

Breakthrough

The future is Scramjetry-driven hypersonic flights. Centring and nucleating the disparate and distributed emerging digital technologies. Creating employment, wealth and wellbeing in companies, cities, and countries. Thriving not just merely surviving economies and organisations.

Hypersonia is a keystone technology system. Linking foundational aerospace, automobile, biotech, military, informational and transportation industries together. Creating new benefits on earth and in space. The deeper the linkages, the more they are transformative for economies. And the faster the transition to florescence and flourishing occurring.

Breakthrough innovations creating multiplicative impacts. Hypersonia offering the basis for re-shoring lost making. With digitisation driving the ramping up of high-tech manufacturing and related highly beneficial and strategic services. Places where such occurs are at the forefront.

A country such as the US, where expertise being used for pursuing Hypersonia, is also being used in developing high performing large scale wind turbines. The aims of greening and hyper flighting the economy not different, but colliding creating multiplicative avenues for innovating. In Britain, a leading hypersonic engine maker sharing the same facilities with one making innovative digital health devices that are being used for remote-monitoring Covid-19 patients.

Avoiding familiarity bias is key for frontiering. Frank Whittle’s precocity & persistence shifted industrial and institutional mindsets to embracing jetry in the transatlantic alliance. Vannevar Bush’s rejection of Vladimir Pavlenko’s idea was not overcoming such bias. Himself an innovator in emerging digital sphere and the promoter of war-winning America-British radar, for instance. His student Claude Shannon went on to creating the information theory underpinning the digital revolution. MIT’s decision to rejecting the idea was basically a financial concern. That it would be expensive to develop.

Breakthrough innovations require both brave investors and innovators. Whilst prudent fiscalism is paramount, the upfront high cost of making hypersonic technologies must not be a deterrent. Hypersonia needs an entrepreneur such as David Morgenthaler, who links innovation & investment to regenerating and rejuvenating industries. Such entrepreneurs are the drivers of change & transformation. Making craftsmanship converging with comprehension.

Innovation does not stand still. Out of MIT, radar started out for detecting enemy planes or ships within a short range. Today, advances in sensors, software and satellites are making a start-up – Capella Space being backed by the US Air Force to mapping from space earth-bound objects with fine details. Ensuring that engine makers within the stronghold of military airframers are independent enough for fostering the creation of civilian hypersonic crafts, is strategic.

Thriving

The recent breakthrough by Aerojet Rocketdyne must not be the end. The remarkable outputs are suitable for powering missiles around the world. More improvements and innovations are still required to making further advancements. Such that are capable of powering earthbound passenger-carrying hypersonic jumbo jets.

The current scramjet engines can power a business hypersonic craft. Using them as they are for powering a Boeing 787-sized plane, will, nonetheless, requires more than the usual four engines. Thus, more thrust, and higher weight bearing capacity are required to attain. A 10x improvement in weight-carrying performance is laudatory, nonetheless, up to 100x growth will be required for jumbo-jet like optimal airframe’s & engine’s productivity.

Bearing in mind that such performance was achieved within the last one year, one can only imagine that the desired multiplicative outputs could have long been attained over the last ten years, had considerable attention and investment been directed at. Barring performance decay from scaling up, increasing the dimensions and parameters of current scramjet engines, can contribute to boosting productivity and reducing engine numbers.

Moreover, a fully integrated design with a single large composite turboscramjet powering possible. In so far, such performance decay is non-existent or minimal, airframe of different sizes can be powered by optimally & suitably sized & tuned singular integrated engine.

A more familiar design will be a wing-mounted integrated engine construct. A blended wing one using four turboscramjets, for instance. The combined thrust of the scramjets at a high altitude is similar to that of a single engine of a 787, which singularly is capable for cruising in the stratosphere. If they are optimally scaled up and composited with suitable airbreathing jet or rocket engines, these acting as ejectors into the scramjets, it is the New Year for civilian hypersonic flights.

The different LACE jetry-designs are inherently and singularly capable of giving subsonic up to low hypersonic speeds. The ScramLACE ones, suitable for powering reusable single-stage-to-orbit flights, can benefit from the recent advances. Such a craft can also be powered with optimally scaled up turboscramjets augmented with airbreathing rocketlets for powering terminal ascent and in-space propulsion.

The latter possibilities afford the tapping into of the inherent chemical and thermal capabilities of LACE jetry. Moving on, digital-enabled design and making, will make possible multiple compositions of airbreathing jets (including RDE & LACE ones), rockets, ramjets, and scramjets. Such abounding Scramjetry and transforming industries and economies.

Further improvements and innovations are still required. Digital tools such as blockchain, deep or machine learning, quantum computing and 3D printing helping in making such leapfrogging. The success is not for breeding complacency, but for breaking through current achievements.

The pandemic is an accelerator for so many sectors and technologies, even as national economies are reeling from its effects. And the recovery is varying in different places. Bolstering such requiring strategic vigilance, as cyber and physical thefts of intellectual property rights, are still on the rise. Stealing the patented ideas and inventions that are contributing to tackling Covid-19, and for building the new economy post-pandemic.

Brexit has now happened. It is an opportunity that it is occurring during the pandemic, when the trade volume is naturally low. Such gives all the parties, the room for redress. Taking the advantage of low traffic for putting in place measures and developing technologies, for ameliorating the fallout when normalcy returns post-Covid-19. Making techno-centric trade deals is thus strategic.

Sadly, lives are still being lost as different virus variants springing up in different countries. Even as advances are being made with vaccines. And the knowledge about preventative public health measures getting applied and implemented.

Ending on a personal note. The year and decade have been a period of ups and downs, but the favourable aspects are more. Reflecting on the decade, I can see the start-ups that I contributed to facilitating their emergence and growth, now contributing to solving problems during the pandemic. One, from a past entrepreneurial thrust, is now a digital multinational offering rapid diagnostic services in many countries. Encouraging & humbling at the same time.

Founders create a vision for fostering continuous innovation. They and their entrepreneurial successors, keeping the embers aflame always. Transformation coming by creating products and services at regular intervals, especially at a time when the market is fertile for transition.

Innovation is about problem-solving. Sabotage can hamper success. That is why vigilance is required in securing both cyber and physical spaces. Existing digital pipes and the new ones to be built with emerging technologies carrying digital services within and amongst cities, companies, and countries. 

The future is being created now. Hypersonia being powered by airbreathing hypersonic engines ferrying goods and passengers around the world, contributing to the recovery.

Thriving is by innovation. The reverse is also true.

Happy New Year in Advance. God Bless. Jesus Cares.

Every content, concept, idea, theme, thought, term and structure, in this article and every article on the LinkedIn page belongs to the author. No direct solicitation is being made to any person or organisation in writing the articles. Any contention, disagreement or objection will be kindly addressed.

[1] Been tracking the success of this start-up since last year. Another company that the pandemic favouring its innovation.

[2] VC: An American History by Tom Nicholas.

[3] This is a timely recall from the years of conducting my PhD research which examined the development & use of satellites for digital health.