Overview
- Direct‑connect trials at GE’s Niskayuna, New York, research center simulated ignition and steady cruise across representative Mach numbers and altitudes.
- The demonstrator combined GE Aerospace’s rotating detonation combustor with a Lockheed Martin tactical inlet designed to manage shocks and pressure recovery.
- Company officials say the compact design increases specific thrust and fuel efficiency, creating space for more fuel or payload and enabling smaller boosters through lower‑speed ignition.
- The campaign represents the first technical effort under a broader joint technology development agreement between the two companies.
- Planned 2026 maturation efforts target operating‑envelope expansion, improved component life, and studies of missile integration, with independent coverage noting related RDRE progress such as Venus Aerospace’s 2025 U.S. flight test.