Hyperion2 – suborbital HYPERsonic spaceplane capable to support payload In Orbit iNsertion 2

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Main project objectives

The HYPERION-2 project is conceived as the natural continuation of the HYPERION project (concluded on 06/08/2025), with the objective to pass the PDR, Preliminary Design Review.

The project aims to carry out the preliminary design of a suborbital vehicle intended to extend air defence capabilities (surveillance and interception) to the entire air space up to 100 km altitude, against the new threats introduced by hypersonic war-systems, and capable of air-launching into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) a payload in the microsatellite class from altitudes of approximately 60 km.

More specifically, HYPERION is a supersonic/hypersonic vehicle with a hybrid turboramjet/rocket propulsion system, designed to perform repeated suborbital flight missions, without the launch-site limitations typical of other systems.

Its main capabilities include:

  • horizontal take-off and landing from/on “short” runways of length around 1000 m;
  • subsonic climb to the operating altitude of 10 km (speed of 200 m/s);
  • acceleration through the transonic regime and climb along a constant dynamic pressure trajectory up to Mach < 5 and around 25km altitude with engines operating in ramjet mode;
  • suborbital jumps towards the Kármán line at 100 km altitude, with the aid of a cluster of  hybrid rockets;
  • possibility of releasing a second stage at high altitude (60 km) for the insertion of 100kg microsatellites into LEO.

General information about the project

  • Funding: 50% co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Defense via the National Military Research Programme (PNRM); the remaining 50% co-funded by the partnership.
  • Start date Phase 1: 03/02/2026
  • End date Phase 1: 31/10/2026
  • Estimated Start date Phase 2: 02/02/2027

cira.it/

www.mbda-systems.com/

www.aerosoft.it/ricerca/

www.leadtech.it/

https://tecnosistemspa.it/

www.trans-tech.it/

www.unicampania.it/

www.unina.it/

  • Lead Contractor: DAC, Campania Aerospace District
  • Partners: DAC (leader of the temporary business grouping); CIRA, MBDA Italia, Caltec (members of the temporary business grouping); Aerosoft, Lead Tech, Tecnosistem, Trans-Tech, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, University of Naples Federico II (actuators)

DAC activities:

DAC serves as the project’s technical coordinator and financial manager. Specifically, he oversees system engineering and multidisciplinary project iterations. He manages system configuration thanks to his decades of experience in the hypersonic field, taking into account the results of assessments in the various areas of aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, structures, and flight mechanics. He coordinates the requirements of the technology demonstrators that accompany the project’s development, verifying their achievement of objectives. He organizes and leads the Project Team’s activities to continuously monitor both engineering and technological developments and ensure adequate program progress.

Hyperion Program Manager

CIRA activities:

CIRA participates in the project by contributing to system definition and configuration analysis, drawing on its specific system-level expertise in aerodynamics and flight mechanics, while also developing certain critical enabling technologies, such as the propulsion system that consists of two airbreathing turbo-ramjet engines and a hybrid rocket.

CIRA coordinates the aerodynamic test campaigns conducted at the INCAS trisonic wind tunnel (Romania) and at CIRA’s PT-1 transonic wind tunnel.

 MBDA activities:

MBDA is participating in the project by designing the front part of the aerostructure, the radome, through a critical review of the mechanical, electrical, and thermal-structural requirements; the radome’s RF design, starting with the definition of the optimal frequency bands for the onboard radar; and the mechanical and thermal design, taking into account thermal phenomena associated with high speeds. Studies and evaluations are planned for the use of new technologies for hypersonic radomes, such as ceramic/metal joints, thermal barriers, and protective coatings, for which the production and testing of test specimens and/or partial demonstrators is planned.

MBDA will design and build a new technological demonstrator for the scaled radome, based on the results already obtained and the new technologies developed during the project. The necessary equipment for manufacturing, production process development, process testing, and the execution of mechanical, thermal, and radio frequency testing campaigns at its laboratories at the Fusaro site for final validation will also be developed.

Eng. Roberto Vitiello, roberto.vitiello@external.mbda.it

CALTEC activities:

CALTEC is contributing to the HYPERION project with the mechanical design of the turbo-ramjet airbreathing engine and the subsequent small-scale construction of a technology demonstrator to validate the relevant methodologies and construction processes.

Imma Cianciulli, icianciulli@omi-mf.it

AEROSOFT activities:

AEROSOFT participates in the project by contributing to the system definition and configuration analysis, with particular expertise applied to the sizing of primary fuselage structures, leveraging extensive experience in the aeronautical sector in both design and structural analysis, using state-of-the-art CAE tools.

AEROSOFT will implement the revision of the fuselage design to properly accommodate the hybrid rocket, including: (i) execution of structural design loops of the fuselage using FEM/FEA in order to account for the sizing of the tanks and their related interfaces, as well as those of other elements within the fuselage; (ii) evaluation of possible improvements in fuselage space optimization and weight reduction compared with the prototype developed in HYPERION #1; (iii)  updates related to the revision of the engine positioning (air-breathing engines and rocket engine);  further investigation of the wing–fuselage interface, including the possible fairing (fuselage side);  assessment of doors and windows, as well as the positioning of the landing gear and its bays.

LEAD TECH activities:

LEAD TECH is responsible for the design and construction of the full-scale technology demonstrator of the leading edge of the wing’s inner delta.

This component corresponds to one of the points where the greatest mechanical and thermal loads are concentrated during flight, and represents a critical element of the aerostructure. It contains systems important to the aircraft’s functionality, such as advanced high-lift systems (e.g., smart vortex generators, mini-slats, etc., which will be preliminary evaluated). The structural design loop of the leading edge will be implemented with the support of finite element models and analyses (FEM/FEA), to evaluate and potentially implement improvements and weight reductions compared to the demonstrator already built in the first phase of the project.

TECNOSISTEM activities:

TECNOSISTEM participates in the project by contributing to the identification of solutions related to the internal components of the aircraft (e.g., tanks, connection elements between the airframe and tanks, between the airframe and rocket, landing gear, actuators for movable surfaces, etc.) and their respective fixings to the airframe with preliminary sizing, as well as completing the development and continuous updating of the Digital Mock-Up (DMU), configuration control, integration, and compatibility verification of components developed in different work packages by various partners.

TECNOSISTEM will also contribute to the development of the structural design loops for the wing using FEM/FEA, to assess and implement potential improvements and weight reductions. Additionally, TECNOSISTEM will focus on the wing-fuselage interface with potential fairing (wing side), as well as preliminary evaluations of the control surface actuation with the possible adoption of aerodynamic fairings for the actuation mechanisms.

TRANS-TECH activities:

TRANS-TECH is the micro-company that introduced the concept of a multi-purpose hypersonic aircraft the size of a business jet over a decade ago and launched the HYPLANE project, the precursor to HYPERION.

On this basis, TRANS-TECH supports system engineering activities and iterations, particularly managing system technical budgets and contributing to configuration studies. It is particularly responsible for studies related to the HYLAUNCH configuration, which involves the air-launching of a second launcher stage to an altitude of 60 km to deliver a payload of approximately 100 kg into low Earth orbit (350 km). TRANS-TECH participates in the technological development and design activities of the wing leading edge.

UNIV. DELLA CAMPANIA VANVITELLI activities (UNICAMP):

UNICAMP is contributing to the project by developing stability and control algorithms for GNC that, based on the aircraft’s flight characteristics, static stability, and dynamics, ensure the desired trajectories are achieved.

UNICAMP is also developing the structural design of the spaceplane’s vertical tail fin, including the rudder.

Prof. Luciano Blasi, luciano.blasi@unicampania.it

UNIV. DI NAPOLI FEDERICO II activities (UNINA):

Over ten years ago, UNINA participated in the creation of the HYPLANE project, which is the basis of HYPERION.

UNINA participates in the project by overseeing the aerothermodynamic aspects of the spaceplane, namely the high heat fluxes and surface temperatures produced by friction with the atmosphere, especially in stagnation zones such as the nose cone or radome. UNINA is responsible for the study and development of turbo-ramjet airbreathing engines, with specific attention to the evolution of the thermodynamic cycle required to produce the thrust required to achieve the mission objectives. UNINA also oversees the fluid dynamics of the second component of the propulsion system, a hybrid rocket.

Acknowledgments

The HYPERION #2 project is co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Defense in the frame of the National Military Research Program 2024 managed by the National Armaments Directorate, under the contract n. 8740/8742, prop. A2023.015.

The HYPERION project was co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Defense in the frame of the National Military Research Program 2020 managed by the National Armaments Directorate, under the contract n. 985, prop. A2019.224.

A special thank goes to the personnel of the National Armaments Directorate and to the Territorial Technical Office of Naples of the Directorate of Aeronautical Armaments and Airworthiness.

 Image gallery

Digital Mock Up (TECNOSISTEM) – Equipped Configuration

 

HYPERION model in wind tunnel: (a) CIRA-PT1 WT, (b) INCAS TWT (Romania)

FEM Analysis – Deformed Structure under the Action of the limit Loads (TECNOSISTEM)

 

Fuselage FEA calculations (AEROSOFT)

 

Ramjet demonstrator: (a) CAD model (CALTEC); (b) Modello FEA model (AEROSOFT); (c) setup in the INCAS-TWT (Romania)

 

Ramjet – Mach number contour by CFD: (a) air intake (TECNOSISTEM); (b) full engine (CIRA)

Ramjet – numeric-experimental comparison (UNINA) of a test at Mach 3.5 in the INCAS-TWT (Romania)

 

Radome (MBDA): (a) structural analysis; (b) testing in anechoic chamber

Wing Leading Edge Demonstrators: (a) with Heat Pipes (LEAD TECH); (b) with variable thickness skin under mechanical test setup (CALTEC)

Wing Leading Edge Demonstrators: thermal profile comparison (LEAD TECH, CALTEC, TRANS-TECH)