Australia launches the first 3D printed Mach 8 Hypersonic Missile from US soil
China and Russia have the edge on hypersonic weapons development and the West is racing to catch up, and a Mach 8 missile is the fastest weapon to be 3D printed ever.
Key takeaways
- Taking off aboard Rocket Lab's HASTE launch vehicle, the DART AE reached a top speed of Mach 8 as the climax of the Cassowary Vex mission.
- DART AE is the world’s first hypersonic aircraft made entirely from high-temperature alloys using 3D printing.
- The launch took place at 7:00 pm EST from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2026) 'Australia launches the first 3D printed Mach 8 Hypersonic Missile from US soil', 311 Institute, 13 March. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/australia-launches-a-3d-printed-mach-8-hypersonic-missile-from-us-soil/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Earlier this month Australia's Hypersonix Launch Systems made a historic launch of its next-generation DART AE hypersonic aircraft from Wallops Island, Virginia. Taking off aboard Rocket Lab's HASTE launch vehicle, the DART AE reached a top speed of Mach 8 as the climax of the Cassowary Vex mission.
Designated “That’s Not a Knife” by Rocket Lab, the launch was not the first flight of an Australian hypersonic vehicle, but it still marked several significant milestones. DART AE is the world’s first hypersonic aircraft made entirely from high-temperature alloys using 3D printing. It is also powered by an air-breathing SPARTAN scramjet burning green hydrogen fuel.
See it launch
According to Rocket Lab, the flight was conducted under the US Department of Defense’s Innovation Unit to validate the 3D-printing techniques, high-temperature materials and autonomous guidance systems under real-world hypersonic conditions. Telemetry from the flight will be compared to simulated digital models generated beforehand.
The launch took place at 7:00 pm EST from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia. Rocket Lab’s Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) booster sent the 662-lb (300-kg) DART AE missile on a suborbital trajectory, accelerating it to Mach 5, after which the scramjet ignited in the upper atmosphere.
Reaching its target speed of Mach 8 and an altitude of about 16 miles (26 km), the vehicle flew approximately 540 nautical miles (621 miles, 1,000 km) before splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. Rocket Lab provided a live feed of the mission; however, at the request of Hypersonix Launch Systems, the builder and operator of DART AE, all video was cut before fairing release and stage separation.
“This mission allowed us to test propulsion, materials and control systems in real hypersonic conditions,” said Hypersonix co-founder Dr Michael Smart, a former NASA research scientist and former Chair of Hypersonic Propulsion at the University of Queensland. “At these speeds and temperatures, there is no substitute for flight data. The results from this mission will directly shape the design of future operational hypersonic aircraft.”
Source: Hypersonix Launch Systems
What this means for your organisation
Printed metal now flies at hypersonic speed.
DART AE is the world's first hypersonic aircraft made entirely from high-temperature alloys using 3D printing. It flew about 1,000 km at Mach 8. Any firm that makes parts for heat and stress should note that this method was tested in real flight, not only in simulation.
The hypersonic race is still open.
China and Russia have the edge, and the West is racing to catch up. Our data rates hypersonic weapons as Prepare, with wide use by 2030. The flight ran under the US Department of Defense's Innovation Unit, which shows how Western buyers are testing new suppliers.
Fuel and launch choices shape the field.
The scramjet burned green hydrogen, and a Rocket Lab HASTE booster took the vehicle to Mach 5 before ignition. Our data rates green hydrogen as Watch and alternative launch systems as Explore. Both deserve a place in supplier and R&D reviews.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Which of our metal parts could be 3D printed for extreme heat?
- Do our defence or aerospace suppliers have a plan for hypersonic demand?
- How would flight data, not simulation alone, change our testing methods?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
China and Russia have the edge on hypersonic weapons development and the West is racing to catch up, and a Mach 8 missile is the fastest weapon to be 3D printed ever.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity programme, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- Mission Success Rocket Lab Launches 2nd Hypersonic Test Mission in Three Months for Defense Innovation Unit globenewswire.com
- Hypersonix Launch Systems hypersonix.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 13 March 2026. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2026). Australia launches the first 3D printed Mach 8 Hypersonic Missile from US soil. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/australia-launches-a-3d-printed-mach-8-hypersonic-missile-from-us-soil/
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