JAXA Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Flight Test Results for Scramjet Engine

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) performed a scramjet engine flight test (*2) using the HyShot flight experiment system (*1) at the Woomera range in Australia at 11:40 a.m. on March 30, 2006 (Japan Standard Time, JST.) The actual flight test operations were commissioned to the University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia.

JAXA is currently waiting for the test results from the UQ and will inform you of the results as soon as we receive them.

(*1)The HyShot flight experiment system is a test system of the UQ that uses a small sounding rocket (Terrier-Orion Mk70) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA.) The purpose of the flight test this time is to acquire data including pressure distribution data in the engine for six seconds under an accelerated condition up to approx. Mach 8, utilizing the scramjet engine which was independently researched and developed by JAXA. It was loaded on top of the rocket and launched for the test.

(*2) For more details about the scramjet engine test, please refer to the press release on March 20, 2006.

HyShot-IV launch moment (11:40 at March 30, 2006)