Hypersonics Technicians

In the late 1930s, the Austrian engineer Eugen Sänger and German physicist Irene Bredt (who later became Sänger’s wife) designed a hypersonic glider called the Silbervogel—but it was never built. The first use of hypersonics technology occurred in 1949, when the U.S. Army (in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory) launched a rocket that reached a speed of 5,150 miles per hour (or about Mach 6.7). In the 1950s and 1960s, experimental rocket-propelled aircraft were launched in the X-15 research program. The X-15 reached a top speed of Mach 6.7 on October 3, 1967. This research was utilized during the design, construction, and launch of the Saturn V rocket, the space shuttle, and other spacecraft.

The United States has conducted research on hypersonics weapons since the early 2000s and completed successful tests of this technology in 2022. There are two categories of hypersonic weapons: hypersonic glide vehicles and hypersonic cruise missiles. “Hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) are launched from a rocket before gliding to a target,” according to the Congressional Research Service. “When HGVs are mated with their rocket booster, the resulting weapon system is often referred to as a hypersonic boost-glide weapon. Hypersonic cruise missiles are powered by high-speed engines throughout their flight.” Hypersonic missiles differ from traditional (or ballistics) missiles because they travel at extremely high speeds, are highly maneuverable in flight, can change course during flight, and are much harder to detect than conventional weapons because of their flight trajectory. (Ballistics missiles can travel at hypersonic speeds, but lack the other traits of hypersonics missiles.) Russia fielded its first hypersonic glide vehicle in December 2019. It reportedly used a hypersonic missile during its invasion of Ukraine in 2022—although some aviation experts do not believe it should be classified as a hypersonic weapon. In 2024, Russia used an advanced hypersonic missile (which speed was estimated at Mach 8, or 6,138 miles per hour) to attack Ukraine. China has conducted successful tests on hypersonics technology, and other countries are also developing hypersonic weapon technology.

“The adoption of hypersonic flight will be a transformational event,” predicts the “The Rise of Hypersonics,” an article from the consulting firm Deloitte. “The associated technological advancements could revolutionize everything from international commerce to the command-and-control of militaries to geopolitical dynamics.” Many companies and governments are conducting advanced research in hypersonics technology. As a result, strong demand has emerged for hypersonics technicians, engineers, and scientists in recent years.