On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, the German-British defense and aerospace startup Hypersonica GmbH, headquartered in Munich, announced that it had tested a prototype of its HS1 hypersonic missile, launched from the Andøya Space launch site in northern Norway. The company emphasized that it is working toward establishing a sovereign European hypersonic strike capability. The startup claims to be the first privately funded European defense company to reach this milestone in the development of such technology.
Photos: Hypersonica
The Hypersonica missile prototype accelerated to speeds exceeding Mach 6 and achieved a range of over 300 km. During ascent and the subsequent descent through the atmosphere, all systems operated nominally. System performance was successfully validated down to the subsystem level at hypersonic speeds.
Hypersonica’s co-founders, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Philipp Kerth and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Marc Ewenz, stated:
“Hypersonica has achieved a major milestone on our pathway to developing Europe’s first sovereign hypersonic strike capability by 2029. Our test flight yielded invaluable datasets that will inform the design and development of future high‑speed strike systems and enhance our ability to analyse adversary weapon profiles. As a privately funded startup, our speed from design to the launchpad in just 9 months should recalibrate expectations about the costs and time needed to develop this crucial capability.”
This is a proud moment for European defense innovation
“This is a proud moment for European defence innovation. As Europeans grounded in the values of freedom and democracy, we pursue this work with a clear sense of responsibility for the safe and principled development of this cutting‑edge technology. We are grateful for the expert support and partnership from Andøya Space on this successful mission.”
Hypersonica aims to develop an operational hypersonic strike capability by 2029. The timeline envisions a phased approach, with successive test flights intended to: achieve sustained hypersonic flight, demonstrate advanced flight control at hypersonic speeds, subsequently attain complex maneuverability, and ultimately meet all mission requirements.
Preparations for this first test flight included concept development, design, procurement, integration, and technical ground testing, as well as export controls, regulatory compliance, flight safety, and test range organization on the commercial side, all completed within nine months.
Hypersonica’s modular architecture enables rapid upgrades and shorter, more cost-effective development cycles, reducing costs by more than 80% compared to conventional methods. This approach is intended to allow Europe to field hypersonic capabilities under agreements with NATO and the United Kingdom from 2030 onward in the area of hypersonic missiles—at a fraction of typical costs.
A video of the test is available on the startup’s website: Hypersonica successfully tests Europe’s sovereign hypersonic missile prototype.
At the same time, the company announced that it had secured 23.3 million USD in funding from the German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (Bundesagentur für Sprunginnovationen, SPRIND), as well as from General Catalyst and Ventures 201. The funds will enable the launch of full-scale hypersonic testing as early as the first quarter of this year.
Hypersonica GmbH was founded in December 2023 by doctoral candidates from the University of Oxford and German nationals Dr. Marc Ewenz and Dr. Philipp Kerth. The company was initially incubated by TUM Venture Labs. The startup is headquartered in the Munich area, with a wholly owned subsidiary in London. The impetus for pursuing hypersonic missile development was the British-German Trinity House defense agreement of October 23, 2024.
It should be added that the test, designated SCOOTER HS-1, was confirmed by Andøya Space and took place on February 3 of this year at 10:14:45. The missile was described as a single-stage vehicle, and the test was deemed fully successful.