By Josh Perry, Editor
[email protected]

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently announced that its Materials Architectures and Characterization for Hypersonics (MACH) program is seeking designs and material solutions for cooling hypersonic vehicles.

DARPA’s Materials Architectures and Characterization for Hypersonics (MACH) program seeks new materials and designs for cooling the hot leading edges of hypersonic vehicles traveling more than five times the speed of sound. (DARPA)

According to the press release, “The MACH program seeks expertise in thermal engineering and design, advanced computational materials development, architected materials design, fabrication and testing (including net shape fabrication of high temperature metals, ceramics and their composites), hypersonic leading-edge design and performance, and advanced thermal protection systems.”

DARPA is holding a Proposers Day to explain the program on Jan. 22 in Arlington, Va.

“For decades people have studied cooling the hot leading edges of hypersonic vehicles but haven’t been able to demonstrate practical concepts in flight,” said Bill Carter, program manager in DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office, in an announcement. “The key is developing scalable materials architectures that enable mass transport to spread and reject heat. In recent years we’ve seen advances in thermal engineering and manufacturing that could enable the design and fabrication of very complex architectures not possible in the past. If successful, we could see a breakthrough in mitigating aerothermal effects at the leading edge that would enhance hypersonic performance.”

The MACH program focuses on two research areas: a mature, fully-integrated passive thermal management system for cool leading edges and next-generation hypersonic materials research to develop active and passive thermal management systems, coatings, or materials.

More information about both research areas will be released in mid-January at https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=agency&mode=form&tab=notices&id=048f413b4c64abc6c0afbc36b09f099d.