Failure to launch: Australian scramjet test flight delayed in US
Sydney Morning Herald
by Cameron AtfieldFebruary 26, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
The test flight of a groundbreaking Australian scramjet, designed to travel at 12 times the speed of sound, was delayed due to unfavorable weather conditions in Virginia, USA. Brisbane-based Hypersonix had planned to launch its Dart AE scramjet via Rocket Lab’s HASTE rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on February 26, 2026. The mission, named 'That's Not a Knife' as a nod to Australia, aimed to achieve the world’s first sustained hypersonic flight using green hydrogen fuel. However, poor weather conditions prevented the launch, which was scheduled to take place at an altitude of 50 kilometers over the Atlantic Ocean.
The delay occurred just an hour before the rocket was set to launch, with Rocket Lab citing “out-of-bounds launch commit criteria” as the cause. This typically involves unmet pre-launch conditions such as weather, system health, or safety regulations. While Hypersonix co-founder Michael Smart expressed disappointment, he emphasized that the mission’s success would validate years of theoretical research, providing critical data for future hypersonic aircraft development.
The Dart AE is an eight-meter, reusable hypersonic aircraft powered by a 3D-printed Spartan scramjet engine with no moving parts. Designed to reach Mach 12 speeds and temperatures exceeding 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, the test flight would have yielded invaluable insights into propulsion, materials, and control systems at such extremes. If successful, this technology could revolutionize global travel, enabling rapid delivery systems, intelligence-gathering missions, and potentially even space exploration.
The delay underscores the challenges of hypersonic testing, where unpredictable factors like
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Originally published on Sydney Morning Herald on 2/26/2026