Today, Rep. Vince Fong (CA-20) introduced the Making Advancements in Commercial Hypersonics (MACH) Act with Rep. Kevin Mullin (CA-15). This legislation authorizes the establishment of the MACH Program at NASA, which allows NASA to support scientific experiments through high-speed flights with commercial hypersonics companies.
“The MACH Act will allow NASA to continue its important research in hypersonic flight,” said Rep. Fong. “In order for America to maintain its competitive edge over adversaries like China and Russia, NASA must leverage the power of the private sector to achieve its goals in hypersonic flight. I am proud to see East Kern continue to be on the cutting edge of hypersonic technology and make great strides in this endeavor to not only benefit our community, but the entire nation.”
“American innovations in science and technology have lasting impacts and help chart the course of our future,” said Rep. Mullin. “I’m proud to continue working with Rep. Fong to enable NASA to formalize the MACH Program, which will encourage the research and development of hypersonic flight. It’s incredible to think how far we’ve come in aerospace advancements over the last 50 years, and how much further we can go when we strategically prioritize programs like MACH.”
“Stratolaunch is committed to advancing scientific research and technology development for hypersonic systems,” said Zachary Krevor, President and CEO of Stratolaunch. “With both NASA and DoD focusing on hypersonic initiatives, I am confident this program will contribute to accelerated advancements for our national needs and the commercial hypersonic industry. We are excited to see the continued support for hypersonics development and thank Congressman Fong for continuing to encourage hypersonics innovation and research in our country.”
Background
The MACH Act was originally introduced by Rep. Fong in the 118th Congress as an amendment to the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which passed the House on September 23, 2024. The MACH Program is modeled on NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program, which NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center leads, and which supports scientific experiments through suborbital flights with commercial space companies. Like the Flight Opportunities Program, the MACH Program helps NASA achieve its scientific goals while also supporting the growth of the commercial hypersonics industry.
For more information on hypersonic flight, click here to see Rep. Fong’s remarks at the Hudson Institute and Space Foundation workshop in October 2024. Click here to read Rep. Fong’s op-ed on the future with hypersonics published in November 2024.
