Purdue University is constructing a hypersonic ground testing facility

Purdue University is building a hypersonic ground test facility on its campus in West Lafayette, Ind., to further the research it is conducting with the U.S. Department of Defense on hypersonic technologies.

The 65,000-square-foot  Hypersonic Ground Test Center (HGTC) will house the only Mach 8 quiet wind tunnel in the world, as well as a hypersonic pulse shock tunnel, according to a university news release. The test facility will be used to develop high-altitude and hybrid-electric engines to power  U.S. military aircraft.

The HGTC will be administered by a new nonprofit consortium of national defense industry partners that will manage capital and operational costs. Purdue University and Purdue Research Foundation will fund the construction of the HGTC, reports wlfi18.com news. 

The HGTC facility will house two separate testing streams; partners can conduct tests in the 3.5-5.0 Mach range or the 4.5-7.5 Mach range.

The testing facility will be built in the Purdue Aerospace District adjacent to the Purdue University Campus. A construction timeline is still in the works.