The Hypersonix resource hub provides national and international resources on New Space, hydrogen technology, scramjet technology and more.

How far is low Earth orbit (LEO)?

An object in LEO would most likely be orbiting somewhere between 160 km and 1,000 km above the Earth's surface. The International Space Station, for example, maintains an LEO altitude of around 400 km.

What is a small satellite?

A small satellite is a satellite that weighs less than 500 kg fully fuelled. In the near future, we will likely see much higher commercial demand for small satellites that weigh between 1kg to 10 kg (nanosats) and 10 kg to 100 kg (microsats).

Why are small satellites in demand?

Small satellites that operate either individually or in combination may be able to perform tasks better than a larger satellite. Many micro or nanosats operating in formation, for example, might provide advantages for global communications, or for gathering data from many points on the globe at once.

Traditionally, the high cost of placing satellites into LEO has made this technology out of reach for most businesses — but this is slowly changing. Smaller satellites, with more efficient and effective delivery to LEO, are lowering the costs and risks involved — making space more accessible to an increasing number of businesses and organisations.

Don't you need coal to make hydrogen?

Coal gasification is one process for creating hydrogen, but it is not the process we will be using. We have partnered with BOC Australia, who is creating a new, sustainable green hydrogen industry in Queensland. BOC has already announced its intention to build a green hydrogen production facility, using seawater as the main ingredient.

Isn't hydrogen a dangerous choice for fuel?

Not at all. Hydrogen fuel cell technology is increasingly used in Europe for powering domestic motor vehicles. We will likely see much wider adoption of this type of technology for domestic motor vehicles in Australia over the next five years, because hydrogen fuel cells are a zero emission technology. The only ‘waste’ produced is water. If the hydrogen is produced using green technology to start with, you have a fully zero emission fuel source.

What is a scramjet?

Scramjet is short form for supersonic combustion ramjet. The technology has been around for a while, but up to now its application has been limited by the materials available for construction. The scramjet needs constant supersonic airflow to operate effectively.

When Delta-Velos achieves Mach 5 velocity, SPARTAN will kick in and accelerate the space craft to around Mach 12. We've solved the issues of extreme heat associated with high speeds and the stresses of re-entry, through the use of cutting-edge carbon composites.

Is Delta-Velos capable of carrying people into space?

Delta-Velos is not designed for passengers. It is a highly sophisticated, unmanned aerial vehicle, designed to carry small satellites into LEO, deploy them there, and return to Earth.

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