Italian Startup FAST Blazes Trail With €500K Investment For Air-Launched Rocket

Italian aerospace startup FAST has secured a €500,000 investment to propel its ambitious HyperDart project forward. The funding, provided by Galaxia – an aerospace technology transfer hub backed by CDP Venture Capital, will be used to develop a prototype ramjet engine for the carrier aircraft that will launch the rocket.

HyperDart is an innovative air-launched rocket system designed to deliver 250-kilogram payloads to low Earth orbit. The system utilizes a 16-meter-long remotely piloted aircraft to carry the rocket to an altitude of 25 kilometers before ignition. This approach promises to significantly reduce launch costs compared to traditional ground-based systems.

Founded in March 2024, FAST has made rapid strides in developing its technology. The company aims to create a partially reusable launch system by recovering and refitting the carrier aircraft for subsequent missions. The ramjet engine, a crucial component of the carrier aircraft, is expected to power it to speeds of around Mach 5.

This investment marks a significant milestone for FAST and the European space industry as a whole. The potential of air-launched rockets to revolutionize access to space has attracted considerable attention, and FAST's progress in this area is closely watched.

With the €500,000 funding, FAST is poised to accelerate development of its HyperDart system and bring the company closer to its goal of providing cost-effective and reliable space launch services.