Research & Development
JAXA promotes three research and development programs and a fundamental research program that underpins them.
Research on hypersonic turbojet engine
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JAXA's hypersonic turbojet has been successfully operated in Mach 4 propulsion wind tunnel experiments
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The hypersonic turbojet in the test facility (The equipment on the left blows Mach 4 air)
- JAXA successfully performed Mach 4 propulsion wind tunnel experiments on its hypersonic turbojet at the Kakuda Space Center's ram jet engine test facility on February 28, 2014.
In 2013, JAXA conducted engine combustion tests at the Noshiro Rocket Testing Center under the same conditions that the inside of the engine would experience at Mach 4 flight. The wind tunnel experiments demonstrated that the hypersonic turbojet can be operated at Mach 4 flight conditions by blowing high-speed, high-temperature airflow to the entire engine. The experiments also produced data on the cooling effects of cryogenic fuels like liquid hydrogen, the air compression performance of shockwaves, and the net thrust of the engine.
JAXA now plans to improve the net thrust by using variable geometry air intake and an afterburner.
Mach 4 propulsion wind tunnel experiment on a hypersonic turbojet (0:45)
Shockwaves around the air intake (0:45)
June 20, 2014
