Overview
- Hermeus unveiled Ramjet‑X on Wednesday as an expendable ramjet test vehicle meant to be carried and released from its reusable Quarterhorse aircraft to reach high initial speeds.
- The company says ramjet engine tests are underway at its HEAT facility in Jacksonville and that high‑temperature structures are being developed at its El Segundo headquarters.
- Hermeus provided preliminary flight figures—separation at about Mach 3, climb to roughly 100,000 feet, and a cruise near Mach 4 for tens of minutes—while noting the vehicle has not yet flown.
- Quarterhorse has already reached Mach 1.21 under an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate, and Hermeus is building faster Quarterhorse variants intended to enable Mach‑3 launches and carry multiple Ramjet‑X vehicles per sortie.
- Key details remain undisclosed, including Ramjet‑X payload capacity, range, recoverability, and per‑flight cost, but the company says the platform could expand commercial and government access to high‑Mach flight testing.