Pluto Aerospace has completed the second successful flight with paid passengers on its Dash prototype, a low-cost hypersonic testbed. With this milestone, the company highlights its mission to make high-speed flight research more accessible to small businesses and startups that traditionally struggle to access costly flight programs.
Based out of the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette and with flights in Mojave, California, Pluto Aerospace is positioning itself as a game-changer in hypersonics. The Dash testbed allows for rapid, iterative hypersonic testing without the overhead or long wait times of larger programs, offering flexibility critical for smaller companies that need an accelerated timeline for testing and development.
“Right now getting anything to fly involves a huge budget and long wait times small businesses simply don’t have the runway for,” said Christopher Nilsen, founder of Pluto Aerospace and associate propulsion Dbt engineer in Purdue University’s College of Engineering. “I hear it from people all the time: ‘We’d love to prove our tech but we can’t afford to wait three or four years to get on a flight.’ So we know it’s the right answer because it doesn’t exist anywhere else. We’re proud to be that bridge.”
One of the companies taking advantage of the accelerated timeline is American Energy Technologies Co., a Chicago-based woman-owned small business focusing on functional coatings, novel materials, and portable energy systems.
The idea for a reusable hypersonic testbed was born while Nilsen attended Purdue and the university has remained a pillar of support for the startup. A Purdue Strategic Ventures portfolio company, Pluto Aerospace has also received an additional $800,000 investment from a Purdue alumnus.
For companies searching for an affordable way to complete fast, iterative hypersonic testing, Pluto Aerospace is taking reservations for later this year. As Nilsen puts it, “You don’t have to wait anymore. You can be flying by the end of the year.”
To learn more, contact hello@plutoaeropress.com.
About Pluto Aerospace
Pluto is an Indiana based startup building the fastest path from lab bench to hypersonic flight. Our test vehicles are designed for flexibility and affordability, enabling researchers, developers, and mission designers to rapidly iterate and make a make a meaningful impact on national security.
About Purdue Strategic Ventures
Purdue Strategic Ventures provides strategic support, early-stage investment and community activation for Purdue-connected, venture-scale startups with strong growth potential across agriculture, deep tech, digital tech, mobility and life sciences. Within the Purdue Research Foundation, Strategic Ventures unlocks opportunities for lasting startup growth, transforming potential into performance for portfolio companies.
Strategic Ventures is the nexus between entrepreneurial talent and strategic capital, driving Boilermaker innovation and investment success. For more information, visit strategicventures.prf.org.
Media contact: Polly Barks, phbarks@prf.org
