As global interest in hypersonic flight accelerates, the United States is investing heavily in the science and systems needed to sustain speeds above Mach 5. Achieving and maintaining such extreme performance hinges on more than just propulsion—it requires a tightly integrated approach across design, manufacturing, and materials. Parallax Advanced Research, in partnership with leading defense contractors, academic institutions, and federal agencies, is helping lead this transformation, bringing a system-level perspective to the technical and industrial challenges that stand between today’s prototypes and tomorrow’s deployable systems.
“Hypersonic technologies have existed in one form or another for decades,” said Dr. Keith Bowman, Vice President of Advanced Aerospace Systems Division at Parallax Advanced Research. “We have good materials on the shelf and tested designs—but what we don’t have is a robust industrial base that can meet today’s demands for volume, cost, and production rate.”
To bridge this gap and support the U.S. Department of Defense’s S&T roadmap, Bowman emphasizes the need for innovation across all technology areas involved in the successful design, flight, and transition of hypersonic systems. His focus centers on three key areas: striving for affordability through a robust multi-disciplinary approach early in the conceptual design phase; employing mature industrial-base solutions to enable unique, out-of-the-box structural designs; and recognizing that mission effectiveness can be achieved without relying on overly complicated and expensive hypersonic silver bullets. Bowman sees this approach as essential to delivering hypersonic systems that are not only technically and mission capable, but also affordable and scalable.
Structural Integration Shift
One of the most significant advances in hypersonic airframe development is the shift toward integrated “hot structures,” where thermal protection is built directly into load-bearing components.
Bowman explained, “In the past, we used parasitic systems like the Space Shuttle Orbiter’s tiles, which acted merely as a shield and added extra weight and complexity. Today, the goal is to make thermal protection part of the structure itself. This integrated approach is far more efficient and can drastically reduce both weight and system complexity.”
This design evolution reflects a broader shift in aerospace priorities. While early hypersonic efforts focused heavily on satisfying flight objectives and survivability of the system, today’s challenges demand a more balanced approach that includes cost and manufacturability. The materials and structures must not only perform under extreme conditions but also be producible at scale to meet increasing operational needs.
“In the 1980s, there was a major push to reduce the weight of airframes of conventional aircraft, but today with hypersonics, cost is the driver.” Bowman emphasized. “You can have the perfect material with outstanding properties, but if you can’t manufacture it at scale and at an affordable cost, it’s irrelevant.”
Additive Manufacturing Revolution
The rise of additive manufacturing (AM) is reshaping what’s possible in hypersonic system fabrication. Complex, high-temperature components that once took months to machine and assemble can now be printed in days.
“Seven years ago, I had a propulsion designer tell me AM would be a gamechanger for scramjet engines,” Bowman recalled. “By 2020, he was designing geometries that were difficult to fabricate a decade earlier.”
This capability extends beyond engines. Entire hypersonic systems—from nose to tail—are being considered with additive manufacturing in mind, enabling more efficient geometries and significantly reducing labor costs.
“Some companies are proposing entire vehicles, and they’re doing it with a fraction of the overhead required for traditional builds,” said Bowman.
High-Heat Materials
At hypersonic speeds, air friction alone can raise surface temperatures to thousands of degrees. Materials must not only withstand this heat but do so while maintaining structural integrity. Bowman highlights refractory composites along with nickel- and niobium-based metals as leading candidates. But again, performance alone isn’t enough.
“We have materials that work, but they’re not always readily available or affordable at the scale we need,” Bowman said.
That’s why Parallax is also focused on improving supply chains, accelerating materials qualification, and working with industry partners to ensure that materials innovation keeps pace with system demands.
Digital Meets Physical
To keep costs down and accelerate development, Parallax is advancing digital engineering tools that allow teams to simulate performance, optimize designs, and eliminate failure points before ever building a prototype. But modeling can’t replace testing entirely.
“You still have to fly,” Bowman noted. “Digital tools are essential, but they must be validated against physical results obtained through flight or ground testing.”
This combination—digital design backed by real-world data—helps ensure that materials and structures perform as expected under extreme conditions.
Prototype to Production
For Bowman, the future of hypersonics depends on disrupting outdated design philosophies, re-imagining design paradigms, and rethinking what’s “good enough” for operational success.
“We need systems that are reliable, cost-effective, and manufacturable at scale. That means designing from the start for throughput, not just performance.”
Parallax is currently advancing research in key areas including ground test systems, rapid design iteration, and system modeling—laying the foundation for a next-generation hypersonic industrial base.
“The U.S. hypersonics push is going well,” Bowman concluded. “But to get to real-world capability, we need to take these technologies out of the lab and into production—at scale and at production rate.”
As the race to operationalize hypersonic technologies accelerates, collaboration across sectors is more critical than ever. Whether you're a government stakeholder, industry innovator, or academic researcher, now is the time to engage with the experts shaping the next generation of flight. To learn more about Parallax Advanced Research’s contributions to hypersonics or to connect directly with Keith Bowman, Vice President of the Advanced Aerospace Systems Division, click here. Let’s build the future—together.
About Parallax Advanced Research & The Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI)
Parallax is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit research institute that tackles global challenges through partnerships across government, industry, and academia. It accelerates innovation, transitions emerging technologies to market, and develops sustainable solutions for national security and economic competitiveness. Through its affiliation with the Ohio Aerospace Institute, Parallax supports aerospace research, workforce development, and high-impact collaboration throughout Ohio and the nation.