Scientists Built A Hypersonic Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine – And It Just Flew For The First Time

Venus Aerospace has successfully launched a rocket from the ground using its innovative air-breathing rotating detonation engine (RDRE).

At the heart of Venus Aerospace’s ambitions is the Stargazer M4, a next-generation passenger plane designed to cruise at Mach 4 and peak at Mach 9 speeds that would drastically cut global travel times. The demonstration took place at Spaceport America, nestled near New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range. The vehicle, resembling a missile more than a commercial aircraft, was launched vertically from a ground ramp, powered entirely by the RDRE. While exact performance metrics weren’t disclosed, this marks what is likely the first-ever atmospheric flight of a rotating detonation engine launched directly from the surface.

Until now, only JAXA (Japan’s space agency) has reported successful flight tests using RDRE technology, but those occurred with sounding rockets in suborbital space. Venus Aerospace’s success differs crucially: its engine operated in high-speed atmospheric flight, a much more complex and demanding environment.

To appreciate the magnitude of Venus’s success, it’s important to understand how ramjets and rotating detonation engines work together.

A ramjet is a type of jet engine that lacks turbines or compressors. It relies purely on forward motion to compress incoming air, which means it only works at high speeds, typically above Mach 1. Because of this limitation, ramjets usually require an initial boost from rockets or high-speed aircraft to begin functioning.

Venus Aerospace’s breakthrough was in enabling ramjet operation from a standstill on the ground. That’s where the RDRE comes in.

The rotating detonation engine doesn’t have moving parts. Instead, it consists of a cylindrical combustion chamber where fuel and oxidizer detonate in a spinning wave. This detonation generates tremendous pressure, which can force enough air into the engine to jumpstart the ramjet’s combustion, even at zero airspeed.

Once the vehicle reaches Mach 3.5, the RDRE shuts down and the ramjet takes over, pushing the craft toward hypersonic velocity. The engine architecture not only enables a ground launch but also boasts 20% greater fuel efficiency compared to traditional jet propulsion systems.

Though the RDRE concept dates back to the 1980s and was tested extensively by the U.S. Navy, it remained a theoretical promise for decades. Venus Aerospace’s VDR2 engine changes that narrative. By demonstrating that RDRE-powered vehicles can launch from the ground and sustain flight, the company has cleared a major technical hurdle toward hypersonic transport.

Later this year, Venus plans to integrate the VDR2 into a drone demonstrator, which will serve as a testbed for the Stargazer M4 aircraft. While commercial hypersonic travel is still years away, this successful flight signals that it’s no longer science fiction. The Stargazer M4, once a futuristic concept, is rapidly evolving into a tangible aviation milestone.

With this ground-launch success, Venus Aerospace positions itself at the cutting edge of aerospace innovation. The implications go far beyond faster flights: this technology could transform military aviation, satellite deployment, and long-range commercial travel.

However, numerous challenges remain, ranging from thermal shielding and airframe stress at hypersonic speeds to passenger safety and global airspace regulations. But with the VDR2 test now a success, the future of Mach 9 air travel seems more plausible than ever before.