College of Engineering research will contribute to future hypersonic aerospace vehicles and systems, which will need to be produced with materials that are capable of withstanding higher Mach speeds, ultrahigh surface temperatures and extreme environments.

With a $2.6 million U.S. Army Research Office grant and support from analytical instrument manufacturer Rigaku, UNT is developing a one-of-a-kind X-ray diffraction system, which can simulate extreme temperatures and test whether materials would be suitable for hypersonic applications. Through UNT's Center for Agile and Adaptive Additive Manufacturing (CAAAM), researchers also are uniquely positioned to develop agile and adaptive additive manufacturing for hypersonic systems with their expertise in advanced materials and 3D printing.