LA To Tokyo In Under Two Hours? American Company Completes Historic Hypersonic Engine Flight Test That Hits Mach 6 Straight From Runways

A U.S. aerospace startup just made history with a test flight that could one day shrink the trip from LA to Tokyo to under 2 hours. Venus Aerospace, based in Houston, flew a Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine — the first American company to do so. The test took place on May 14 at Spaceport America in New Mexico, marking a world-first for this breakthrough engine tech. RDREs are more compact, powerful, and fuel-efficient than traditional rockets — and this is their first successful real-world flight. Venus’s vision? The Stargazer M4 — a Mach 4 passenger plane that takes off from runways and flies at hypersonic speed. Their tech blends RDRE with a proprietary ramjet system, eliminating the need for bulky rocket boosters. The U.S. hypersonic race is heating up — with companies like Anduril, Castelion, Ursa Major, and Hermeus also joining the race.