Ensuring Stability in Hypersonic Flight

UDRI researchers design, analyze, develop, and test hypersonic materials, components, and systems for commercial and military customers. We develop specialized computational methods to address structural problems that are otherwise unsolvable and have pioneered experimental methods for unusual or challenging problems for which no test standards exist.

UDRI research in this area focuses on aerospace vehicles capable of sustained flight at hypersonic speeds.

UDRI is currently conducting research and development in materials and structures for reusable hypersonic vehicles for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Hypersonic vehicles, which travel at speeds faster than five times the speed of sound, experience significant thermal and aerodynamic loads.

Designing vehicles that can survive extreme environmental stresses is critical but challenging, requiring unique structural configurations and advanced materials. UDRI researchers focus on understanding the mechanical and thermal loads experienced by hypersonic vehicle structures, then work to identify the best materials and create preliminary designs for select airframe structures.

Our researchers perform experiments and analysis to verify performance of these hypersonic aerospace structures. We have a long history of developing and transitioning advanced materials and structures for aerospace, including work in exotic materials for a variety of high-temperature applications. UDRI leverages advances in materials over the last several decades, particularly in the area of ceramics and ceramic matrix composites, in order to suit this type of application.

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