Story ID: 
Hermeus Installs Starlink for Beyond-line-of-sight Tests
By: Charles Alcock
Caption: Start-up is developing a family of hypersonic aircraft using air-breathing propulsion
Word Count: 231
Hermeus has installed Starlink’s satellite-based connectivity equipment on the Quarterhorse Mk 1 remotely piloted vehicle it is using to develop its planned family of hypersonic aircraft. The connectivity service will be used for beyond-visual-line-of-sight command and control functions during flight testing.
According to the U.S. start-up, its engineering team integrated the Starlink installation during the course of ongoing taxi ground tests. Hermeus posted images of the equipment on social media, stating that its test campaign had not been delayed by the project.
According to Starlink Aviation, its equipment can work on supersonic aircraft. However, the SpaceX subsidiary has not said whether this would extend to flights at hypersonic speeds, which are defined as Mach 5 and above.
Hermeus is working to apply its Chimera air-breathing hypersonic propulsion technology to power a range of aircraft, including military uncrewed vehicles and a Mach 5 twenty-seat aircraft it has said could enter service in the 2030s. The Quarterhorse Mk 1 technology demonstrator uses General Electric’s J85 engine, while the Mk 2 model—which is expected to start supersonic flight testing in 2025—will be powered by Pratt & Whitney’s F100 turbofan.
In September, the Atlanta-based company broke ground for its hypersonic engine and flight test facility at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida. This will be used for high-Mach flight testing that is due to start in 2026.