Call for Abstracts

The 2022 Call for Abstracts is closed. We look forward to your participation in HTSC 2023!

We invite you to participate in the fourth annual Hypersonic Technology & Systems Conference (HTSC) which will take place in North Logan, Utah, 24 - 27 Oct 2022.

This event is restricted and conducted at the SECRET//NOFORN level. Attendance is limited to U.S. citizens with a final SECRET clearance. Final presentations should not be more restrictive than Distribution C.

Abstract & Submission Requirements

Abstracts must be unclassified.
Abstracts should carry a distribution level of A or C. If your presentation material is not derived from work done under DoD funding or oversight, please use your organization’s equivalent to the distribution levels below.
A = Approved for public release, distribution unlimited
C = U.S. Government Agencies and their contractors only
Abstracts that contain CUI data, must have a CUI control block and be marked CUI at the top and bottom.
Abstract submissions more restrictive than Distribution A should be password protected with passwords being sent to Sherry Johnson at sjohnson@blue52productions.com. More detailed instructions for password protecting and submitting your abstracts can be found on the submission page on-line.
Because of the high interest in this event, we are expecting a very large number of submissions. Presentations that have content beyond the unclassified level, are clearly associated with the proposed topic area(s) and are technically focused (versus company sales pitches) will have the highest probability of selection. Please remember that HTSC has a greater emphasis on platform and applied technology versus purely basic or foundational research which is covered at other conferences.
Abstracts should be relevant to one or more of the topics described on the previous pages.
Abstracts should be no more than 400 words long.
Abstracts must contain the title of your abstract in the body of the submission and an unclassified outline containing the key points of your presentation (this does not count against the 400 word count).
Abstracts should clearly express: 1) objective, 2) relevance to the proposed topic area(s), 3) scope, and 4) conclusions of your presentation.
If appropriate, be sure to have your derivative classifier do a sanity check on your unclassified abstract prior to submitting it.
If you find it impossible to submit a worthwhile abstract at the unclassified level, please call Michelle Williams at 937-554-4632 for potential alternative options.
IMPORTANT: Speed up your organizational release process of your abstract by letting your approvers know that abstracts will not be published on the web, nor will they be distributed beyond the technical selection committee.

2022 HTSC Topics Include:

TOPIC 1: THERMAL PROTECTION & MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

The thermal protection systems (TPS) topic includes all aspects of materials, manufacturing, and design that support ballistic, air-breathing, boost‐glide, defense against hypersonics, high‐energy kinetic projectiles, and re‐entry systems for military applications. In this topic TPS is a general term for all external structures to include but not limited to aeroshells, windows, apertures, radomes, control surfaces, nosetips, and leading edges. Program and system overviews with pertinent materials, issues, and updates related to current programs are encouraged. Focus areas include:

Design and ground/flight testing of thermal protection systems concept or components;
Thermal management of subsystems including active & passive technologies;
Novel instrumentation or applications to support TPS development;
Oxidation/ablation modeling and test;
Erosion modeling and test, to include all environmental effects;
Thermostructural modeling, material properties, and testing;
Advanced structural concepts and TPS integration;
Manufacturing methods and the industrial base; and
Sustainability.

TOPIC 2: PROPULSION

This topic area addresses propulsion concepts that support hypersonic flight for expendable and reusable systems. The main areas of interest include rocket and air‐breathing propulsion, and responsive solutions for end game maneuverability. While concept development phase activities are of interest, consideration will be given to elevated Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and Manufacturing Readiness Levels (MRLs) where ground and flight test data from prototype propulsion components and systems are available.
Rocket Motor Areas of Interest Include:

Booster motors/booster systems with multiple stages demonstrated via ground testing;
Nozzle and thrust vectoring systems;
Approaches to thrust modulation and termination;
High performance propellants with low sensitivity;
Launch and operating environments design consideration; and
Divert and Attitude Control Systems (DACS).

Air‐Breathing (Systems Level) Propulsion Areas of Interest Include:

Air-breathing systems (to include scramjet, ramjet, and rotating detonation engine, turbine based)
System design solutions addressing boost, cruise, and terminal phase requirements;
Ground test methodologies, facilities, and test diagnostics;
Engine material technologies; and
Modeling and Simulation (M&S) with validation.

TOPIC 3: AERODYNAMICS & AEROTHERMODYNAMICS

Aerodynamics and aerothermodynamics play a significant role in the design of hypersonic systems, driving flight vehicle performance and robustness. These phenomena must be adequately characterized with uncertainties identified to develop guidance and control methodologies. Due to the unique challenges associated with hypersonic flight coupling of the aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic environments, advanced modeling and simulation approaches, validated by ground/flight test and evaluation are required. The HTSC Aerodynamics & Aerothermodynamics topic area addresses the challenges and on‐going investments in hypersonic system technology maturation. Focus areas include:

Uncertainty modeling and quantification methods;
Hypersonic flow field modeling and validation;
Relevant vehicle boundary layer transition modeling, phenomenology, and test;
Effects of flow field chemistry on vehicle performance;
Effects of shock‐shock and shock/boundary‐layer interaction;
Ground test methodologies and approaches (wind tunnels, shock tunnels, ballistic ranges);
Aerodynamics influence on control surface performance;
Ablation/erosion influence on aerodynamics coefficients;
Jet interaction modeling and validation;
Wake flow field modeling;
Base region flow field and aeroheating modeling; and
Flight test validation of aerodynamic models and configurations.

TOPIC 4: NAVIGATION, GUIDANCE & CONTROL, AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS

Hypersonic systems offer enabling capability to counter adversarial threats and provide the U.S. with significant advantages to address both offensive and defensive requirements. However, deviations from historical aerodynamic configurations and re‐entry environmental challenges require technology maturation in navigation, guidance & control (NG&C) and electrical systems to support hypersonic flight systems. This topic is focused on addressing these requirements for current and future configurations of interest within the hypersonic community. Topics of interest include:

Challenges associated with hypersonic flight systems related to NG&C and electrical systems;
Hypersonic power system and energy storage technologies and methods (flight and ground systems);
Auto‐pilot design and implementation for hypersonic systems and platforms;
Navigation and guidance in GPS‐contested environments;
Tactical/strategic navigation systems;
M‐Code and hypersonic‐specific code and algorithm implementation;
Unique control system technology development and maturation for moderate to high lift/drag ratio vehicles;
Packaging of electrical systems in constrained hypersonic vehicle configurations;
Uncertainty analysis and contributors for NG&C systems;
Latency mitigation methods & technologies for hypersonic systems; and
Integration between NG&C, aerodynamic, aerothermodynamic, and power system simulation methods and analyses.

TOPIC 5: PROGRAMMATIC REVIEW

Hypersonic R&D and flight system programs are being conducted by each of the services and agencies such as the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the Strategic Capabilities Office. Each organization working on hypersonics brings unique skills and capabilities. Ground, air, or sea launch are examples of system differences while areas such as shape, range, size, and other key areas are vehicle unique design challenges. The program review area will focus on discussions related to current status and path forward for specific service and agency hypersonics programs.

TOPIC 6: DEFENSE AGAINST HYPERSONIC SYSTEMS

Hypersonic threats present a unique challenge to U.S. defensive systems. They operate at high velocity, are capable of high acceleration maneuvers, operate across a large range of altitudes, and do not have a predictable trajectory. This topic area will examine the applicability of current and future defensive systems against the hypersonic threat. This topic area is devoted to generation of key knowledge points, including modeling and simulation, to mature defensive systems that may include:

Architecture concepts studies;
Sensor / shooter interactions;
Battle management and CONOPS;
Fire control and engagement management;
Targets and threats;
All aspects of the threat kill chain (detect, track, engage, assess);
Survivability of the defensive system;
Determination of lethality (hard or soft kills); and
Technical challenges of the mission.

TOPIC 7: DETECTING & TRACKING HYPERSONIC OBJECTS

This topic area will examine technologies and capabilities for detecting, countering the operation, and counter detection of hypersonic objects. There is a need to develop the capabilities to detect and defeat the adversaries’ hypersonic threats in different flight scenarios. This topic area is devoted to examining possible detection techniques associated with the hypersonic dynamics and flight environment effects, as well as the possible techniques to counter such detection. Important to success in this area are development of methodologies and systems that employ an all domain approach, network-centric operation, and distributed decision making. Combined with technologies and testing associated with achieving hypersonic velocities, areas of interest include:

Modeling, experiments, and phenomenology;
Efficient algorithms and fusion;
Machine learning and autonomy;
Interaction and scattering of multispectral beams with wave turbulence;
Detection of hypersonic objects using specific spatial waveforms;
Impact on navigation and guidance;
Other topics specific to detection and countermeasure;
Target signature effects to include impact of ablation, heating, turbulence; and
Sensor platform capability and experimental results.

TOPIC 8: SENSING IN A HYPERSONIC ENVIRONMENT

Existing subsonic missiles have developed terminal sensors to increase accuracy and lethality for both stationary and moving targets. This topic seeks abstracts that investigate terminal, ISR, and homing sensors for offensive and defensive systems. The high-speed environment adds additional difficulty due to compressed engagement timeline, high surface temperature on the sensor window, and limited aperture size. In addition, future capability requirements may drive the need for developing the ability to send and receive multiple signal types and thus require a variety of sensors and windows. Areas of interest include:

Sensor trade studies for a hypersonic environment;
In flight non-contact methods of diagnostics of hypersonic environment;
High temperature antennae and window materials;
Propagation of signals through high temperature materials and flow fields;
Sensor designs for hypersonic vehicles;
Ground test facilities for combined hypersonic environment testing related to sensing;
Modeling and simulation of hypersonic engagements of a moving target; and
Target discrimination in a time constrained environment.

TOPIC 9: GROUND TEST FACILITIES & INSTRUMENTATION

This topic area addresses ground test and evaluation of hypersonic weapon technologies, components, and systems to validate models and support flight system development. Abstracts are being sought from DoD, DOE, NASA, and private industry that are developing and utilizing government‐owned or commercial ground test facilities to address and mature hypersonic technologies for weapon systems. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

Methods of using ground testing to reduce flight test risk;
Capabilities of existing ground test facilities;
Ongoing and proposed facility upgrades;
The technical challenges of future facility needs;
Novel hypersonic instrumentation applicable to ground and flight test data acquisition; and
Current ground test activities supporting hypersonic flight system development (characterization, as well as qualification testing).

TOPIC 10: SYSTEMS ENGINEERING (INCLUDING DIGITAL ENGINEERING), ARCHITECTURE, ANALYSIS & DESIGN

Systems Engineering, Architecture, Analysis & Design involves developing and executing multidisciplinary solutions to enable emerging hypersonic platform capabilities, as well as vehicle level integration of subsystems into hypersonic platforms across all mission phases and life cycle. This topic area will also cover multidisciplinary trade study methods to optimize system performance in a highly constrained environment. Specific focus will include, but is not limited to:

Integration of systems components (flight electronics, ordnance, controls);
Integration of sensors/windows into heatshields and outer mold lines (OMLs);
Performance trades with competing weight, range, payload parameters;
Launch system integration;
System architectures to provide operational capabilities;
Modeling, simulation, and analysis to provide insights into operational effectiveness;
Booster‐to‐vehicle integration;
Fluid thermal structural interaction;
Model based system engineering;
Affordability & producibility;
Reliability & maintainability; and
Digital engineering applicable to hypersonic systems.

TOPIC 11: FLIGHT TESTING

Hypersonic flight tests have been conducted for several years, the results of which have brought a wealth of data about the characteristics of hypersonic flight. DARPA, DOE, NASA and the defense services have demonstrated various key technological areas using sled tests and wind tunnel tests and have conducted full system flight tests. This topic area is dedicated to plans, objectives, results, challenges and other items related to hypersonic flight testing. It explores new ways to do flight tests in a resource and schedule constrained environment. Topics such as accuracy, maneuvers, thermal protection capabilities, all weather operations, range infrastructure, post flight recovery, flight termination, diagnostics, measurements, communications, security and capabilities will also be addressed. The ultimate goal is to share knowledge and plans of hypersonic flight testing and determine where knowledge and efforts can be leveraged.

TOPIC 12: KILL CHAIN, MISSION PLANNING & C4ISR

The ability to employ hypersonic systems (offense and defensive) in compressed timelines is of extreme importance to the DoD. This session will examine various capabilities and the technologies related to: resource management, ISR, targeting, command and control, C2BMC, communication and decision making as it applies to employing hypersonic capabilities. Areas of interest include:

Compressing the kill chain to reduce our adversaries’ decision time;
Energy management and trajectory optimization with vehicle constraints;
ISR, target and identification and cueing/custody;
Application of artificial intelligence capabilities;
Mission and flight planning;
Decision making;
Target assignment;
Development of weapons quality data;
Defensive and survivability constraints.

TOPIC 13: WEAPONS EFFECTS & LETHALITY

This environment presents unique challenges in weapon effects and system lethality assessments. This topic is seeking abstracts on weapon effects and lethality related to hypersonic offensive and defensive systems. Areas of interest include:

Modeling and simulation of weapon effects;
Modeling and simulation of lethality;
Lethality data integration into weaponeering tools;
Minimizing collateral damage;
Kill assessment methodologies;
Ground and flight testing;
Campaign employment and target-weapon pairing;
Advanced technologies in hard-kill and soft-kill;
Fuzing, energetic materials, lethality enhancements;
Post-intercept debris and damage state characterization;
Implications on shot doctrine; and
Communication between platforms to optimize lethality.