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High-Speed Flight Project Overview

What We do The High-Speed Flight (HSF) project develops technologies that make high-speed, airbreathing, commercial flight possible from Mach 1 to Mach 5 and above. HSF creates tools, technologies, and knowledge that will help eliminate today’s technical barriers to practical supersonic flight, most

ScienceBy Dr. Thomas WrightMarch 5, 20261 min read

Last updated: April 5, 2026, 3:56 PM

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High-Speed Flight Project Overview

The High-Speed Flight (HSF) project develops technologies that make high-speed, airbreathing, commercial flight possible from Mach 1 to Mach 5 and above.

HSF creates tools, technologies, and knowledge that will help eliminate today’s technical barriers to practical supersonic flight, most notably sonic boom. The project supports the X-59 quiet supersonic vehicle testing by gathering acoustic data and validating tools that predict in-flight sonic booms.

HSF conducts fundamental and applied research that explores key challenges in reusable, hypersonic flight technology.

The project evaluates the potential for future commercial hypersonic vehicles, including reusable access to space and commercial point-to-point missions.

NASA maintains unique facilities, laboratories, and subject matter experts who investigate fundamental and applied research areas to solve the challenges of hypersonic flight. The High-Speed Flight project coordinates closely with partners in industry, academia, and other government agencies to leverage relevant data sets to validate computational models. These partners also utilize NASA expertise, facilities, and computational tools. Partnerships are critical to advancing the state of the art in hypersonic flight.

Contact the High-Speed Flight Project by email at larc-htp-inquiries@mail.nasa.gov

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Dr. Thomas Wright

Science Editor

Dr. Thomas Wright is a science writer covering space exploration, physics, and environmental research. He holds a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from MIT and transitioned to science journalism to make complex research accessible to the public. His coverage of NASA missions and climate science has earned multiple awards.

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