Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9

Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9 is a specialized facility designed to simulate the extreme conditions objects experience when traveling at very high speeds, such as re-entering Earth's atmosphere from space. It uses powerful jets of compressed, heated air to generate speeds greater than Mach 7 (seven times the speed of sound). This allows scientists and engineers to study how materials and spacecraft surfaces behave under those intense conditions, helping improve designs for re-entry safety, heat resistance, and durability of space vehicles.