CLEARED FOR TAKE-OFF:
Brisbane’s Hypersonix Launch Systems is rewriting the flight plan
With a deep talent pool and world-class research institutions, Brisbane has provided the ideal launchpad for Hypersonix Launch Systems to become one of the world’s most exciting aerospace companies.
From its headquarters in Carole Park, Hypersonix is designing and building reusable, hydrogen-fuelled hypersonic aircraft for commercial and defence use. Its ultimate goal? To make satellite launches faster, cheaper and cleaner, with no rockets required.
At the heart of that vision is SPARTAN, the company’s world-first scramjet engine. Fully 3D printed and powered by hydrogen, SPARTAN has no moving parts and can operate between Mach 5 and Mach 12. The result is a radically more efficient alternative to traditional rocket motors – one that’s already secured major defence contracts with the US and UK governments.
It’s a breakthrough born of decades of local expertise, and it’s taking flight in Brisbane.
From research to the runway
The driving force behind Hypersonix is Michael Smart, the company’s co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, and a global authority in scramjet technology.
His career began at the University of Queensland under Professor Ray Stalker, a pioneer of hypersonic research and the creator of the T4 shock tunnel – a specialised wind tunnel capable of simulating flight conditions up to Mach 15. Since its commissioning in 1989, the T4 has supported more than 6,000 scramjet ground tests, helping position Brisbane at the forefront of hypersonic propulsion research.
Smart went on to spend a decade at NASA’s Langley Research Center in the Scramjet Branch, before returning to Brisbane as Professor of Hypersonic Propulsion in UQ’s Centre for Hypersonics. But after years advancing the field in academia, he decided it was time to take his work further.
“We had a great research group doing important work, but in engineering, the goal is ultimately to create real products that benefit society,” he says. “It’s not about exploring abstract theories – it’s about building things that work. I knew it was time to take that next step.”
In 2019, Smart co-founded Hypersonix Launch Systems with David Waterhouse, bringing his research out of the lab and into the real world. Since then, the technology has evolved rapidly through in-house design, prototyping and testing.
With early support from angel investors and federal government grants, Hypersonix 3D-printed its first scramjet engine and began building a team. In 2023, experienced scale-up executive Matt Hill joined as CEO, helping move the company from concept to commercial momentum.
“Michael is the technologist,” Hill says. “My job is to make sure we have the resources and structure to build around that technology, and to grow something that lasts.”
Today, Hypersonix has grown to a team of 40 and continues to expand its commercial and technical capabilities, with global interest building around the products it’s preparing to launch.
That momentum includes a growing presence in international defence. In 2023, Hypersonix was selected by the United States Defense Innovation Unit to deliver its DART hypersonic test bed under the HyCAT program. In July 2024, it signed a framework agreement with the UK Ministry of Defence as part of the Hypersonic Technologies and Capability Development Framework (HTCDF).
Together, these projects give Hypersonix the opportunity to contribute to next-generation hypersonic capability across two AUKUS nations – a significant milestone for a company just five years into its journey.
Building in Brisbane
From talent and research to liveability and access to clean energy, Brisbane offers the right conditions for aerospace innovation to thrive – and Hypersonix is making the most of them.
“Brisbane is an epicentre for the type of talent we need,” Hill says. “We’ve brought in exceptional young engineers who studied under Michael at UQ’s Centre for Hypersonics, as well as others who connected with us through professional networks. For a high-growth company solving complex technical challenges, that graduate pipeline is absolutely critical.”
The city is home to several top-tier universities, including The University of Queensland, which sits atop the AFR Best Universities Ranking 2024. But Hypersonix has also attracted skilled engineers from across the country, drawn by the opportunity to work on cutting-edge aerospace technology – and by the local lifestyle.
With green suburbs, a subtropical climate and easy access to some of Australia’s most iconic natural attractions, the city offers a quality of life that supports long-term team engagement and performance.
“We’ve been able to attract an amazing group of people, and more importantly, we’ve been able to hold onto them,” Hill says. “The work is fast-paced and demanding, but our staff turnover is below four percent. That’s a reflection of the culture we’ve built, and the kind of place Brisbane is to live and work.”
Hypersonix also benefits from the city’s strong research culture. Brisbane is home to more than 140 innovation hubs – more per capita than any other Australian capital – and supports deep collaboration between researchers, industry, and government.
The company maintains long-running relationships with UQ’s Centre for Hypersonics and AMPAM (the Advanced Materials Processing and Manufacturing research centre), working together on targeted technical challenges.
“For a company like ours, focused project partnerships are far more effective than broad umbrella agreements,” Smart says. “Whether it’s high-temperature materials or thermal protection, we’ll partner with the right team to solve the right problem – and everyone benefits.”
Brisbane is also home to the Hydrogen Flight Alliance (HFA), a national consortium working to develop Australia’s first green hydrogen flight network. As a member of the Alliance, Hypersonix joins organisations including Brisbane Airport, Aviation Australia, Stralis and Griffith University to accelerate the development of hydrogen-powered aviation — supported by the region’s abundant renewable energy.
“There’s a growing ecosystem for clean transport emerging here, especially in aviation,” Smart says. “The real opportunity lies in local solutions – transport that’s designed, powered and operated right here.”
Andy Mulholland - Hypersonix Head of Strategy & Commercial, Her Excellency the Hon Dr Jeannette Young - Governor of Queensland, Professor Graeme Nimmo - RFD, Matt Hill - Hypersonix CEO
On the horizon
As Hypersonix scales, its attention is firmly on the launch of its first aircraft, DART – a 3.5-metre-long, hydrogen-fuelled vehicle capable of flying at Mach 7. Designed to carry a 9kg payload of sensors, communications and navigation systems, DART was originally conceived as a technology demonstrator. It’s now proving its commercial potential.
“We intended DART to be a Minimum Viable Product,” Hill says. “But we’ve secured a five-vehicle purchase order from Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the US. That’s a huge milestone.”
With launch preparations underway, Smart says the company is also focused on what comes next. “We’re working feverishly to get DART in the air later this year, but we’re also planning how to scale production and build out the supply chain,” he says. “There’s growing interest in the US and Europe, so we’re thinking carefully about where and how to expand.”
Next in the pipeline is VISR (Velos Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) — an eight-metre-long, reusable, hydrogen-fuelled aircraft designed for autonomous hypersonic flight. Powered by four SPARTAN engines, VISR will fly at up to Mach 12, with a 2,500km range and 100kg payload. It’s intended for high-cadence military reconnaissance, high-value cargo delivery and flight testing for aerospace materials and systems.
To manage the higher temperatures generated at those speeds, VISR’s airframe and engine components will be manufactured from ceramic matrix composites. A retractable undercarriage will enable reuse. And to extend its range, the aircraft will run on cryo-compressed hydrogen – a dense, high-performance fuel that allows more than twice the onboard volume of standard gaseous hydrogen.
“We’re doing the work now to define what VISR will look like, and what material solutions we’ll need to make it possible,” Smart says.
From lab to launchpad, Hypersonix is proving what’s possible – one flight at a time.
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