Venus Detonation Ramjet (VDR)

Why it matters

Hypersonic aircraft and missiles usually need separate engines for low and high speeds. A single combined engine could simplify vehicles that fly far faster than airliners, a market Venus targets alongside space.

How the technology works

The rotating detonation rocket engine provides thrust from a standstill. As speed builds, the ramjet section, which compresses incoming air by the vehicle's own motion, takes over for sustained high-speed cruise.

Venus describes the pairing as covering flight from takeoff to hypersonic cruise.