The Department of Defense announced today a three-year, $4.5 million applied research award to the University of Virginia (UVA) to advance hypersonics technology, with a focus on engine design, maneuverability control, and operational resiliency. The goal of the work is to complete technology development and conduct individual component ground tests, culminating in an integrated scramjet ground test during the three-year period of performance.
The proposed research, sponsored by the Joint Hypersonic Transition Office (JHTO) through the University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics (UCAH), will be undertaken by the University of Virginia, University of Minnesota, North Carolina State University, and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Industry partners include Innoveering, Calspan, and Boeing. UVA’s industrial advisors include Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. Sandia, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, and two government partners, Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA, will also be supporting the project.
One of the main objectives of the UCAH and JHTO is workforce development. The program will be conducted under the umbrella of four technical challenges, integrated with a workforce development challenge aimed at preparing a diverse cohort of students for careers in hypersonics. The project will directly fund twenty graduate and undergraduate students.
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The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E) is the Chief Technology Officer of the Department of Defense. The USD(R&E) champions research, science, technology, engineering, and innovation to maintain the United States military’s technological advantage. Learn more at www.cto.mil, follow us on Twitter @DoDCTO, or visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/ousdre.