ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. military researchers are asking industry to develop a new integrated process for producing carbon composite protective outer structures to shield hypersonic munitions from extreme heat and shock as they travel through the atmosphere at speeds that exceed Mach 7.
Officials of the U.S. Defense Advanced research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., have released a program solicitation (DARPA-PS-26-15) for the Carbon Crunch program.
For hypersonic flight faster than Mach 7 -- or 5,327 miles per hour -- carbon composites are the preeminent material capable of withstanding the extreme thermal and mechanical loads.
Yet manufacturing carbon composites is a slow, arduous process that doesn't scale easily without compromising quality or cost. The Carbon Crunch program will overcome these limitations by developing and applying carbon composites manufacturing methods that are inherently faster and more scalable than what is available today.
Enhancing scalability
Carbon Crunch’s objective is to enhance the scalability of hypersonic aeroshell production by developing disruptive manufacturing technologies. Scalability in Carbon Crunch means achieving high, reliable production throughput for aeroshells while maintaining quality and controlling costs.
A hypersonic aeroshell is a protective outer structure to shield a munition, aircraft, or spacecraft as it travels through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds — typically Mach 5 or faster. Its shape controls air flow around the vehicle; maintains stability at extreme speeds; and manages shock waves that form in front of the vehicle.
At hypersonic speeds, air can compress, ionize, and reach temperatures of thousands of degrees, so the shape protects the munition or aircraft from extreme aerodynamic heating; surface temperatures that can exceed 2,000 degrees Celsius; and plasma formation around the vehicle.
Dealing with heat
The hypersonic aeroshell typically includes heat shields; high-temperature ceramics or carbon composites; and insulating layers beneath its outer surface.
For Carbon Crunch, DARPA researchers particularly are interested in the ability to scale-up carbon composite manufacturing, as well as in the ability to change rapidly between designs.
Performers will develop a new integrated production process, demonstrate high yields at high rates, and show the process is agile enough to switch from one design to another with minimal downtime.
Limiting factors
Carbon Crunch assumes that carbonization and densification is the primary limitation to scaling carbon composite manufacturing. Matrix density and porosity is extremely important for ensuring quality, and reducing the time labor to densify is a major program goal.
The project involves the hypersonic aeroshell, and if possible the aeroshell's leading edge or nose tips. Coatings or machining is not necessary for demonstrating throughputs, unless they are necessary to final density and quality. It does not involve thermal protection system materials; cooling technologies; parallelizing existing processes; touch labor processes; and final machining methods.
Abstracts are due no later than 2 March 2026. Email questions or concerns to DARPA at [email protected]. More information is online at https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/0786a8b18a0d42c4bf197d51de3f9be7/view.
