Brisbane-based Hypersonix Launch Systems, operating from Carole Park, has secured a $46 million funding boost to accelerate the development of its green scramjet technology. The investment comes as the company prepares for a NASA-backed demonstration of its hydrogen-fuelled hypersonic engine, capable of speeds up to 12 times the speed of sound.
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Founded by scramjet expert Dr Michael Smart, alongside commercial strategist David Waterhouse, Hypersonix emerged from the University of Queensland’s Centre for Hypersonics.
The start-up has designed the SPARTAN scramjet, a 3D-printed engine with no moving parts, which has potential for future high-speed travel. While hypersonic technologies are often associated with defence, Hypersonix emphasises the civil aviation potential, envisioning flights that could connect cities such as Sydney and London in just a couple of hours, powered entirely by green hydrogen.
The Series A funding round attracted three major investors: High Tor Capital, Saab, and RKKVC, with High Tor Capital leading the round. Part of the investment, $10 million, comes from Australian taxpayers through the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation, supporting advanced manufacturing and innovation in Queensland. The funding is expected to create high-skilled jobs in design, engineering, and manufacturing.
Hypersonix employs 45 staff across Brisbane, covering aerospace engineering, advanced manufacturing, and testing roles. The company is chaired by former Australian ambassador to the United States, Arthur Sinodinos, with Dr Smart serving as CTO and a decade-long NASA research veteran. The leadership team has helped attract domestic and international investment, supporting the company’s growth.
The immediate focus is the upcoming flight of Hypersonix’s 3.5-metre DART AE vehicle, powered by the SPARTAN engine. The NASA-backed test in Virginia is set to be the world’s first sustained hypersonic flight using green hydrogen. The demonstration will provide crucial data on high-speed flight and support a range of future applications, including staged payload deliveries to orbit.
Looking further ahead, Hypersonix is developing its VISR platform, an eight-metre, fully reusable hypersonic aircraft for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, rapid delivery, and space system testing. VISR will feature four SPARTAN engines and advanced ceramic composites to withstand the extreme temperatures of sustained hypersonic flight.
High Tor Capital chief executive James Chiswell described the company’s technology as transformative, particularly in how it enables faster and more cost-effective access to hypersonic flight and space-adjacent operations. For Hypersonix, the commercial potential extends beyond defence, with the DART platform serving as a testbed for other companies’ high-speed and hypersonic technologies.
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The $46 million investment positions Hypersonix as a significant player in hypersonic technology. The Carole Park-based start-up combines advanced engineering with green technology and is developing practical applications for hypersonic flight, helping to strengthen Queensland’s aerospace capabilities.
Published 28-October-2025