NASA Awards Boost Hypersonic Flight Testing

The agency collaborates with commercial partners to advance reusable, airbreathing hypersonic flight capabilities.

Jan. 31, 2026 at 2:31am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

NASA has issued two awards to SpaceWorks Enterprises and Stratolaunch to explore how current vehicle platforms could be modified to enable more affordable and frequent hypersonic flight testing. The six-month study aims to help define the capabilities needed to achieve flight test requirements and support a future NASA project focused on advancing commercial hypersonic vehicles.

Why it matters

Developing reusable, airbreathing hypersonic vehicles capable of sustained high-speed flight is a key priority for NASA as it seeks to enable revolutionary advancements in fundamental hypersonic technologies. These awards are part of NASA's efforts to collaborate with industry to find more cost-effective ways to test and validate these emerging hypersonic technologies.

The details

The NASA awards will focus on exploring the potential of two existing vehicle platforms - SpaceWorks' X-60 and Stratolaunch's Talon-A - to serve as affordable and reusable testbeds for hypersonic flight research. The goal is to identify ways to bridge the gap between ground-based testing and full-scale flight tests, which are typically very expensive. The findings from this six-month study could help inform the development of a future NASA project aimed at advancing commercial hypersonic vehicle capabilities.

  • The NASA awards were made in August 2026.
  • The six-month study is expected to be completed by the end of January 2027.

The players

SpaceWorks Enterprises

An Atlanta, Georgia-based company that received a $500,000 award from NASA to focus on the potential of its X-60 platform for hypersonic flight testing.

Stratolaunch

A Mojave, California-based company that received a $1.2 million award from NASA to explore the use of its Talon-A platform for hypersonic flight testing.

Dr. Nateri Madavan

The director of NASA's Advanced Air Vehicles Program, who oversees the agency's Hypersonic Technology Project.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“With these awards, NASA will collaborate with the commercial hypersonics industry to identify new ways to evaluate technologies through flight tests while we address the challenges of reusable, routine, airbreathing, hypersonic flight.”

— Dr. Nateri Madavan, Director, NASA Advanced Air Vehicles Program (Mirage News)

What’s next

NASA intends for the findings from this six-month study to help inform the development of a future NASA project called Making Advancements in Commercial Hypersonics (MACH), which will focus on advancing commercial hypersonic vehicle capabilities through the development of supporting infrastructure such as cost estimates and schedule requirements.

The takeaway

By collaborating with industry partners like SpaceWorks and Stratolaunch, NASA is working to make hypersonic flight testing more affordable and accessible, which is a critical step in enabling the development of reusable, airbreathing hypersonic vehicles and unlocking the potential of this transformative technology.