Accelerating With Hypersonic Flight And The Race For Global Speed
AJ Piplica
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
A.J. Piplica is Co-Founder and CEO of Hermeus Corporation. Hermeus is building a hypersonic platform that’s leveraging 21st century technology like modern computing and autonomy in order to deliver payloads anywhere in the world in minutes.
In an interview with Steve Bowsher, Piplica explores the journey of building a hypersonic aircraft company at the intersection of national security and commercial aviation. Piplica shares his path from aerospace engineering at NASA to co-founding Hermeus, tackling the technical and business challenges of hypersonic flight, and the critical role of speed, autonomy, and defense applications in shaping the future of air travel. They discuss the history of hypersonics, how the U.S. fell behind, and how startups can bridge gaps left by government funding cycles. Piplica also delves into company culture, leadership, and the strategic balance of defense and commercial markets in high-tech aerospace ventures.
Key Takeaways
Defense-First Strategy
Hermeus focuses on military applications before commercial applications to ensure financial sustainability, technology validation, and market traction before pursuing hypersonic passenger travel.
The Hypersonic Advantage
Flying at Mach 5+ provides unparalleled speed and survivability, making hypersonic aircraft ideal for national security applications and future commercial travel.
Government Cycles & Opportunity
U.S. hypersonics programs were repeatedly canceled due to funding cuts and shifting priorities, leaving an opening for entrepreneurs to drive innovation where government and primes have fallen short.
Culture & Speed of Execution
Building hypersonic aircraft is more about team culture and execution speed than breakthrough technology—iterating hardware fast is the key to success.
Entrepreneurial Mindset
Risk-taking is critical. Mitigate the worst downside and optimize for upside, whether in fundraising, team-building, or technology development.