Germany's hypersonic leap: Polaris teams up with military
The German company Polaris Spaceplanes has signed an agreement with the Bundeswehr to design a fully functional two-stage hypersonic vehicle. A new testing center will also be established on the Baltic coast.
German company Polaris Spaceplanes, based in Bremen, is working on creating a prototype of a reusable hypersonic aircraft for the German military—the Bundeswehr—by 2028. This vehicle is intended to serve as a research platform with potential military applications. The aircraft will be able to take off and land on regular runways and perform suborbital flights. The contract also allows the military to co-finance additional stages, including full-scale flight construction and testing.
The new aircraft will accelerate to a speed of Mach 5
The concept involves using traditional turbojet engines for takeoff and ascent and then activating rocket propulsion to accelerate the vehicle to speeds exceeding Mach 5. The program's plans indicate that these aircraft will be unmanned; however, Polaris envisions the possibility of carrying astronauts for suborbital training flights in the future.
By 2028, the company intends to present complete prototypes of reusable aircraft. Polaris is starting by developing increasingly larger unmanned models at a reduced scale. The largest demonstrator used so far is 16 feet long and weighs 530 pounds. This year's plan includes launching a model 26 feet long and weighing between 3,300 and 4,400 pounds.
The new hypersonic planes will be unmanned for now
The design assumptions foresee that the new models will operate without a crew, although Polaris Spaceplanes does not rule out the possibility of transporting astronauts for suborbital training missions in the future.
The target full-scale aircraft will serve as the first stage in an orbital cargo delivery system. The second stage will most likely be a small rocket. The program aims to enable the transportation of satellites weighing up to 2,200 pounds into orbit.
The German company wants to create a new testing center on the Baltic coast
High speed is currently a priority in defense research for many countries due to its potential for effective use in missile systems and affordable, rapid access to space. By striving to create reusable hypersonic systems, Polaris Spaceplanes is contributing to providing Germany with a test platform for examining new technologies, including thermal protection and advanced propulsion systems.
At the start of the year, Polaris announced its intention to create a new testing center in Peenemünde on the Baltic Sea, where advanced military design trials will be conducted. The history of this site dates back to the Third Reich era when it was a center for research into new types of weapons, including the V-1 and V-2 rockets.
