Photo by Chris Stacey

THE Australian Defence Force's Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA) was the staging ground recently for the world's first supersonic combustion flight - the Hyshot rocket launch - involving technology which is set to revolutionise air travel and the launch of small space payloads.

The Air Force's Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) - based at RAAF Base Edinburgh - undertook the launch of a flight test vehicle to assess the supersonic combustion process used in a scramjet at the WPA, 450km north/north-west of Adelaide.

ARDU conducted the launch for the University of Queensland, which is leading the international Hyshot project to flight test scramjet - an air-breathing supersonic combustion ramjet engine.

ARDU Hyshot Project Manager SQNLDR Carlos Rendo said the launch went to plan and he and his colleagues were proud of the Air Force's role in the project. He added that the Hyshot launch demonstrated that ARDU had the capability to undertake projects of such significance that would further enhance Defence's reputation.

The Commander of ARDU, Group Captain Mark Skidmore, said while ARDU's core mission was to enhance ADF aerospace capabilities by delivering expert test and evaluation, engineering and operational support, the organisation recognised the value of space launch activities.

"The scramjet engine is leading edge technology and may have a possible Defence use in the future," GPCAPT Skidmore said.

"This technology has the potential to revolutionise air travel. ARDU had highly sought-after expertise in leading edge technology, and while this task is not part of our usual operations, we certainly have the capability to support it."

Designed and built by the University of Queensland, the Terrier Orion Mk70 rocket - fitted with the scramjet - reached an altitude of more than 300km during the successful launch. The Hyshot scramjet separated from the rocket, reaching speeds up to Mach 7.6 - 7.6 times the speed of sound, or 2.4km a second - in the return to earth.

In what was described as a "perfect flight with everything going as planned", the flight lasted less than 10 minutes. The rocket covered 730km, with impact occurring almost directly on the Nominal Aiming Point, well within cleared safety areas. During the flight, telemetry sites monitored the flight from shortly after launch until impact.

Hyshot Project leader Dr Allan Paull, of the University of Queensland, said he was confident that the experimental engine had worked. He said the complex nature of the experiment meant that the results will not be known until all data has been analysed.

Command of the actual rocket launch was relinquished to ARDU during the course of the campaign at Woomera. Dr Paull said ARDU had the expertise to run such a complex campaign as well as the personnel to operate vital equipment.

"Defence demonstrated that they have a world-class facility and the necessary expertise and infrastructure to mount successful rocket launches," he said.

Dr Paull said the significance of the achievement could not be understated and that Australia would gain considerable international exposure that would build on the reputation of Woomera and indeed Australia as a major contributor in pioneering space research.

"The Hyshot program will help underscore Australia's position at the forefront of hypersonic technological research and open the door to a new way of flight testing," he said.

Woomera Area Administrator Bob McKenzie said while it was largely unrecognised, the Woomera facility had a pivotal role in military weaponry, aerospace and space development.

"Apart from playing a vital role in the future Defence test and evaluation role in Australia, Woomera is once again poised on the world stage of aerospace exploration and utilisation," Mr McKenzie said. "The Woomera Instrumented Range is an excellent site for select commercial R&D organisations to conduct trials and evaluation"

While scramjets do raise the possibility of Sydney to London flights in two hours, they will be much more cost-effective than conventional jets to run. They are also much lighter than conventional jets that produce the same power and have the added benefit that they do not have to carry most of their propellant as they use oxygen from the atmosphere compressed during ascent.

By Steve Dunning and Deanna Nott