Hypersonics
Expanding hypersonic capabilities
Hypersonics will be an essential technology in tomorrow’s strategic defense landscape, a critical difference-maker in our nation’s ability to protect itself and our allies against a new generation of threats. Hypersonic vehicles can reach speeds exceeding 4,000 miles per hour—fast enough to reach Baltimore from Washington in about 30 seconds—and aggressors equipped with hypersonic missiles can penetrate air defenses.
The nation’s adversaries are currently testing military applications of hypersonics technology, which adds urgency to APL’s ongoing foundational work in hypersonic technologies. Our work in hypersonic technologies goes back to the 1960s, when we undertook a then-classified program to develop a family of supersonic combustion ramjet technologies.
Today—from basic researcher to technology developer to trusted advisor—our role in hypersonics is as critical as ever. We lead projects to advance the state of the art of guidance, navigation, and control of these vehicles; validate the tools used to predict boundary layer transition; and investigate new materials to withstand the thermal environment.
Related Projects
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![Image of Boundary Layer Transition (BOLT) flight hardware]()
Learn more about Boundary Layer Transition (BOLT)Boundary Layer Transition (BOLT)
Hypersonic vehicles move fast—faster than five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5.
Related News
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![Illustration of hypersonics vehicles around the globe]()
Learn more about Creating Coatings for Extreme Environments: From Solar Shields to Hypersonic Leading EdgesNews
Feb 17, 2022Creating Coatings for Extreme Environments: From Solar Shields to Hypersonic Leading Edges
Johns Hopkins APL researchers are developing coatings that can stand up to the rigors of hypersonic flight in the upper atmosphere. The work leverages APL’s ability to produce custom materials solutions to solve hard problems that stand between success and failure on real missions. -
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Learn more about Johns Hopkins APL’s Van Wie Awarded von Kármán Lectureship in AstronauticsPress Release
Nov 18, 2021Johns Hopkins APL’s Van Wie Awarded von Kármán Lectureship in Astronautics
David Van Wie, an internationally renowned expert in aerospace engineering and head of the Air and Missile Defense Sector at Johns Hopkins APL, was awarded the 2021 von Kármán Lectureship in Astronautics from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). -
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Learn more about BOLT Experiment Readies for Final Flight in SwedenPress Release
Jun 22, 2021BOLT Experiment Readies for Final Flight in Sweden
Held off by the pandemic, the Boundary Layer Transition (BOLT) flight experiment team is preparing for a late-June launch campaign at the Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden. -
![APL has collaborated with Purdue University on the Boundary Layer Transition (BOLT) Experiments, partnering with Purdue professors, researchers and graduate students on the project and utilizing Purdue’s unique facilities and wind tunnels.]()
Learn more about Johns Hopkins APL and Purdue University Establish Partnership Focused on HypersonicsPress Release
Jun 25, 2020Johns Hopkins APL and Purdue University Establish Partnership Focused on Hypersonics
APL and Purdue University have signed an agreement that will allow both institutions to harness one another’s capabilities and expertise in the field of hypersonics. -
![Dave Van Wie, right, answers a question during a hypersonics session at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech Forum on Jan. 7 in Orlando, Florida.]()
Learn more about APL Experts Talk Hypersonics at AIAA SciTech ForumPress Release
Jan 27, 2020APL Experts Talk Hypersonics at AIAA SciTech Forum
Is hypersonic flight the next big thing? Among strong Johns Hopkins APL representation at the forum, Dave Van Wie was part of a panel that explored the state and potential of hypersonics technologies, the accomplishments and lessons learned, new developments, and remaining challenges to achieving reliable and sustained hypersonic flight.
