HUNTSVILLE, AL, Feb 12, 2025 – Cummings Aerospace and ATRX signed an agreement to collaborate on the development of high-speed unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The companies will integrate a high-speed turbo-rocket onto a proven airframe to develop affordable UAS that can fly at supersonic and hypersonic speeds.
Why it Matters
- Supersonic and hypersonic UAS will give the U.S. military and its allies unprecedented capability against America’s near-peer adversary.
- Affordable UAS capabilities give the U.S. and its allies the opportunity to boost stockpiles of hypersonic drones.
- The technology paves the way for a spaceplane, which can take off and land from any runway in the world.
The Technology Powering the Partnership
Each company will bring cutting-edge technologies to the partnership:
Cummings Aerospace’s Hellhound UAS: An unmanned aircraft with multiple specialized variants. For this partnership, Cummings Aerospace will develop a new version designed to accommodate a hypersonic-capable engine.
Key features include:
- Affordability, thanks to its 3D-printed modular design and commercial off-the-shelf hardware
- Rapid payload swaps in fewer than five minutes, with no tools required
ATRX’s Air Turbo Rocket (ATR):
- A high-speed, air-breathing propulsion system
- Capable of flying at hypersonic speeds, 5 times the speed of sound
- Completed multiple prototype tests
“The modern battlefield demands systems that are capable of flying faster and further into contested airspace,” said Sheila Cummings, CEO of Cummings Aerospace. “This partnership with ATRX will allow us to develop ATR-powered UAS that can offer both of these characteristics in a single vehicle, at an affordable price.”
“Cummings Aerospace is the perfect partner, considering the impressive work they’ve already done for the U.S. DOD. We’re excited about this partnership because it will significantly simplify flight testing of our ATR engines,” said ATRX CEO Felix Bustos III. “Being able to validate the performance of our ATRs using a bespoke UAS based on a flight-proven airframe will de-risk and accelerate our spaceplane development efforts. Spaceplanes are very much needed with more than 50,000, mostly commercial, satellites that need to be launched into orbit in the next few years.”
“Huntsville has a talented and capable space-focused workforce, and we plan to draw on their abilities to help this city become the hypersonic and spaceplane manufacturing capital of the world,” Bustos said.
What’s Next
The companies plan to integrate the ATR engine into a Hellhound variant designed for high-speed flights and begin subsonic and supersonic flight testing.
Source: Cummings Aerospace
About Cummings Aerospace
Founded in 2009 by Sheila Cummings, Cummings Aerospace is a Native American woman-owned small business headquartered in Huntsville, AL, with additional facilities in FL and AZ. The company specializes in model-based systems engineering, modeling and simulation, digital engineering, and software development, serving the defense and aerospace sectors. Their core capabilities include open systems architecture, mechanical and electrical design, advanced manufacturing, and Quality, Safety & Mission Assurance (QSMA). Cummings Aerospace holds an AS9100 Rev D certification, underscoring its quality and technical excellence commitment. The company employs over 90 individuals across its various locations.
About ATRX
ATRX, Inc., established in 2025, is an aerospace company headquartered in the United States, focusing on developing reusable space planes designed for runway operations. Their approach aims to revolutionize space access by enabling aircraft-like operations, reducing costs and increasing launch frequency. The company plans to achieve this through a two-phase strategy: initially developing supersonic and hypersonic Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to generate near-term revenue, then leveraging these technologies to build space planes capable of reaching various Earth orbits and beyond. A key component of their propulsion system is the proprietary Air Turbo Rocket, for which ATRX has already developed and demonstrated a prototype. ATRX is strategically positioned to impact the trillion-dollar space launch market, support national security objectives, and foster new space-based businesses and applications.
