Purdue to Host New Hypersonics Test Facility.

* A facility to test hypersonic capabilities will be built at Purdue University's Research Park Aerospace District adjacent to the university's campus, the school announced in August.

The Hypersonic Ground Test Center, or HGTC, was announced during a two-day Hypersonics Summit hosted by Purdue and the National Defense Industrial Association.

The academic institution was chosen to be a "neutral host" for HGTC, which will be an independent consortium created and defined by industry members, said Mung Chiang, executive vice president of Purdue University and the dean of the College of Engineering.

"Purdue has the highest concentration of hypersonic talent in terms of professors and students in the country, and also a great relationship with DoD, industry and NDIA," Chiang told National Defense in an interview.

The facility will support multiple test cells and laboratories. At the time of the announcement, die consortium had eight members with more joining since, Chiang said.

"Rolls-Royce is a founding member, for example, tliat has already decided to invest in some of the facilities that will enable the HGTC to...