The project has involved the successful launch of one engine designed by The University of Queensland, and one launch of the scramjet designed by the British company QinetiQ. Each combustion unit was launched on the nose of a Terrier-Orion Mk70 sounding rocket on a high ballistic trajectory, reaching altitudes of approximately 330 km. The rocket was rotated to face the ground, and the combustion unit ignited for a period of 6–10 seconds while falling between 35 km and 23 km at around Mach 7.6. The system is not designed to produce thrust.
The first HyShot flight was on 30 October 2001 but was a failure due to the rocket going off course.
The first successful launch was of a University of Queensland scramjet on 30 July 2002. It is believed by many to be the first successful flight of a scramjet engine, although some dispute this and point primarily to earlier tests by Russian scientists. Also of note was the successful achievement of thrust by GASL scramjets launched on June 20 and July 26, 2001 under DARPA sponsership.
A second successful flight using a QinetiQ scramjet was achieved on 25 March 2006. The later QinetiQ prototype is cylindrical with four stainless steel combustors around the outside. The aerodynamics of the vehicle is improved by this arrangement but it was expensive to manufacture.
The HyShot IV flight on 30 March 2006 launched successfully, and telemetry was received, however it is believed that the scramjet did not function as expected. Data analysis is required to confirm what occurred.
The carrier rocket for the HyShot experiments was composed of a RIM-2 Terrierfirst stage and an Orion second stage. A fairing over the payload was then jettisoned. The package then coasted to an altitude of around 300 km. Cold gas nitrogenattitude controlthrusters were used to re-orient the payload for atmospheric reentry. The experiments each lasted for some 5 seconds as the payload descended between approximately 35 and 23 kilometers altitude, when liquid hydrogen fuel was fed to the scramjet. Telemetry reported results to receivers on the ground for later analysis. The payload landed about 400 km down range from the launch site, at which time its temperature was still expected to be about 300 degrees Celsius, which may be enough to cause a small brush fire and thereby make spotting and recovery easier even though a radio beacon was in the payload. There has been much analysis of the data obtained in flight and comparison with results from experiments conducted in ground-testing facilities.
The Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation program was created jointly by DSTO and the Air Force Research Laboratory. HIFiRE was formed to investigate hypersonic flight technology, the fundamental science and technology required, and its potential for next generation aeronautical systems. This will involve up to ten flights with The University of Queensland involved in at least the first three:
HyShot V — A free-flying hypersonic glider
HyShot VI — A free-flying Mach 8 scramjet
HyShot VII - Sustained Mach 8 scramjet-powered flight
