First test successful: European hypersonic rocket from German-British start-up

Supersonic surprise First European Hypersonic Rocket Hits like a Bomb

2026-02-10 Source: dpa 1 min Reading Time

A German-British start-up has developed the first European hypersonic rocket for use in war and launched it in Norway. It reached Mach 6.

Proverbial starting signal in Norway! The first European hypersonic rocket named HS1 for military use is flying along. It reached an impressive speed of over Mach 6 and was built by Hypersonica from Munich ...(Image: Hypersonica) — Proverbial starting signal in Norway! The first European hypersonic rocket named HS1 for military use is flying along. It reached an impressive speed of over Mach 6 and was built by Hypersonica from Munich ...
(Image: Hypersonica)

When it comes to defence, Europe is obviously also relying on so-called hypersonic missiles. The first test of a new development from Hypersonica in Munich, a subsidiary of the British parent company based in London, has now been successful. The prototype, called HS1 and equipped without an explosive device, was launched from the Norwegian spaceport Andøya on February 3 and reached a speed of over Mach 6 (six times the speed of sound = around 7350 kilometers per hour). The rocket flew 300 kilometers. The missile should be ready for series production by 2029 and will then also be able to be armed. Hypersonica has surprised observers and insiders with its successful test flight, as it emphasises. This is because very few countries have (or are developing) hypersonic missiles to date - including China, Russia and the USA.

Europe must catch up with hypersonic missiles

According to the company, the Hypersonica rocket, which is several meters long, weighs over a ton. However, no technical details were provided. Russia is using hypersonic missiles against Ukraine, which are very difficult to intercept due to their high speed - comparable to the problem that the V2 rockets of the Third Reich caused British pilots or air defence when they appeared over England. In Europe, however, hypersonic technology was neglected for a long time. Experts warn that this should now be made up for as quickly as possible. Hypersonica is taking Spacex's rocket technology as a model, where they have proven how quickly and cheaply rockets can be developed that fly in the hypersonic range.

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