Hypersonic research has become one of the biggest topics in global aviation, as countries compete to develop the next generation of missiles so manoeuvrable, they can't be intercepted.

The advances are also being used to create scramjet-powered, hypersonic spaceplanes, which could one day provide an alternative to rockets for taking satellites into space.

In this special episode, host Adam Thorn interviews Dr Fabian Zander, a key player in the University of Southern Queensland's world-leading hypersonic wind tunnel, to find out how the tech will change the industry.

He also discusses his work using aircraft in Australia to study fragmented comets.