Auriga Space's Prometheus accelerator tests hypersonic materials in the rain

What's the deal? California-based Auriga SpaceDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → is using its Prometheus electromagnetic accelerator to test hypersonic missile materials and components on the ground, replacing rocket-powered sled testing. The electric linear motor pushes a magnetically levitated test article through a sealed tube at air pressures matched to real flight conditions, then recovers it intact for repeated runs within minutes. Prometheus has reached supersonic speeds and is working toward hypersonic ones; Auriga says it operates under contracts with the US Air Force and the Missile Defense Agency, and in July 2026 launched a commercial service that fires materials through real water droplets and airborne particles — testing rain erosion on hypersonic vehicles.

Why it matters: Raindrops striking a missile at extreme speed can crack its skin, and ground testing of that erosion has traditionally been slow and expensive. Auriga is planning Thor, an outdoor electromagnetic track with an 8-foot tube, to test larger hypersonic subsystems and full systems — a capability constraint the US hypersonic industrial base is trying to relieve.

Read more: The Defence Blog