Lockheed and GE Test Hypersonic Engine

 

You know that we are truly getting there.  now we need to scale up to an engine package able to lift a hundred ton up the stratosphere repeatedly.  The payload as that point can disconnect and rocket into space which will nicely lower operating costs for space insertions.

Initial take off velocity may even be a catapault system as used for ship launches.

This continues the advance of impossible engineering.

Lockheed and GE Test Hypersonic Engine

January 16, 2026 by Brian Wang

GE and Lockheed ground tested a new air-breathing hypersonic jet engine capable of powering missiles to speeds well in excess of Mach 5 in a smaller, cheaper, lighter, and more efficient package than the most advanced scramjets in testing today. It is a rotating detonating engine. They did ground tests of a liquid-fueled rotating detonation ramjet (RDRJ) at GE’s Research Center in Niskayuna, NY, proving its viability for hypersonic missiles capable of speeds well above Mach 5.

This combines rotating detonation combustion (RDC, using continuous supersonic detonation waves for higher efficiency and thrust than traditional deflagration) with a dual-mode ramjet (capable of operating as both subsonic ramjet and supersonic scramjet via variable inlet geometry from Lockheed).

This is more efficient fuel burn → greater range for the same fuel, or same range with larger payloads. They are smaller, lighter, cheaper engine package compared to advanced scramjets.

Ignition at lower speeds → smaller/less expensive rocket boosters needed for initial acceleration.

Potential for missiles that are more compact, cost-effective, and producible in higher volumes.

Venus Aerospace is a Houston, Texas-based startup (founded in 2020) specializing in rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) technology for hypersonic and high-speed applications. They aim to enable reusable vehicles that take off from conventional runways, accelerate to hypersonic speeds (Mach 4–9+), and support both defense and commercial hypersonic flight.

Venus achieved the first U.S. flight test of a rotating detonation rocket engine in May 2025 at Spaceport America, New Mexico. This marked a historic milestone—the engine flew successfully, validating performance under real conditions after decades of mostly ground/lab work.

Their flagship is the Venus Detonation Ramjet (VDR2) and VDR/VDR2 Engine. They have a hybrid combining RDRE (for high thrust/efficiency) with an air-breathing ramjet. It enables seamless transition from takeoff (subsonic) to hypersonic cruise (Mach 4–6+) in a single system with no moving parts (beyond basic controls). Claims include 15%+ efficiency gains over traditional rockets, scalability (2,000–50,000 lbf thrust), and lower costs via standard materials/advanced manufacturing.

Venus’ long-term vision is the reusable Stargazer M4 hypersonic passenger aircraft (Mach 4–9 capable), targeting 2-hour global flights (LA to Tokyo). It would use RDRE + ramjet for runway ops, reaching ~170,000 ft altitude. Full-scale propulsion/vehicle integration is in planning, with ramjet demo flights targeted for 2026 (e.g., 2-minute hypersonic sustainment).

Venus has partnerships with NASA (longest sustained RDRE runs, nozzle optimization via SBIR grants), U.S. Air Force, and Velontra (for VDR2 collaboration). Raised ~$70–85M+ from investors like Airbus Ventures, Trousdale Ventures, America’s Frontier Fund, Prime Movers Lab, and notably Lockheed Martin Ventures (strategic investment in 2025 to accelerate RDRE scaling).

Venus stands out as a startup leader in flight-proven RDRE, with a strong reusable/commercial focus—unlike larger primes emphasizing missiles.

GE Aerospace + Lockheed Martin (RDRJ for hypersonic missiles). GE/Lockheed focus on air-breathing rotating detonation ramjet (liquid-fueled, tested ground-only in Jan 2026) for missiles—higher maturity in integration/inlets, but single-use weapons. Venus has actual flight tests (2025), reusable emphasis, and broader speed range (takeoff to Mach 6+). Lockheed invested in Venus, showing synergy/complementarity rather than direct competition.

RTX (Pratt & Whitney/Raytheon). RTX leads in military air-breathing RDEs (DARPA Gambit for standoff missiles), with scaled/full-size tests and additive manufacturing for cost. More mature for defense integration, but Venus edges in flight heritage and hybrid ramjet for runway-to-hypersonic.

Overall Edge is Venus. Achieved U.S. first RDRE flight in ~5 years. They have reusable priority (spaceplanes vs. missiles). They have 15-25% efficiency claims and could potentially 4x payload to orbit. There is still no full hypersonic vehicle yet, smaller scale than primes, but backed by big names (Lockheed investment, NASA/Air Force support).

Jet Engine Types

Deflagration engines (subsonic burn) for Turbojets/turbofans (low-speed to Mach 2+)

Ramjets (Mach 3–6)

Scramjets (supersonic burn, up to Mach 10+)

Dual-mode ramjets (switch between modes).

Detonation engines (supersonic burn, ~25%+ more efficient).

Pulse detonation engines (PDE)

Rotating detonation engines (RDE) with continuous circling waves for steady thrust.

A rocket booster launches missile to sufficient speed/altitude.

Lockheed’s tactical inlet compresses incoming air (adjustable shock system for subsonic → supersonic flow).

GE’s RDC ignites fuel-air mixture via multiple detonation waves in the combustion chamber.

Enables sustained hypersonic cruise (potentially >Mach 7,000 mph) with superior efficiency.

Next-gen hypersonic cruise missiles will be faster and have more payload/range than current designs.

RDC could reduce weight/size of the high-speed portion, making practical reusable hypersonic vehicles feasible (military or commercial).

GE previously demonstrated scalable RDC (missile-scale + ~3x larger aircraft-scale) in September 2025.

Maturation continues in 2026 (expand envelope, refine integration).

The new rotating detonation engine could transform aviation like the turbojet did nearly a century ago, shifting from single-use missiles to reusable platforms for greater utility.