The Speed Advantage, with Zach Shore (CEO of Hermeus)

The United States hasn't flown a Mach 3-plus reusable aircraft since the SR-71 was retired in 1990. Hermeus wants to change that and they want to do it faster, cheaper, and with a fraction of the capital. This week we sit down with Zach Shore, newly appointed CEO, at the moment the company's bet is starting to pay off. Zach walks us through his evolution from VP of Growth to CEO, the company's record-breaking $219 million DIU contract, and a $350 million raise that has Hermeus entering its most consequential chapter yet. But the real conversation is about the machine behind the machine …how a SpaceX-trained engineering team is iterating on aircraft the way rockets were once iterated on, and why Mach 3 might be the unlock that makes Mach 5 a foregone conclusion. We cover: Why Zach took the CEO role and what AJ's executive chairman mandate actually looks like The turbine-based combined cycle engine architecture and why Mach 3 is the hardest problem between here and Mach 5 The autonomy stack philosophy: why Hermeus builds trucks, not brains The China threat, the allied opportunity, and why Australia is the most important international partner The commercial Mach 5 passenger vision and why defense has to come first …and much more. • Chapters • 00:00 - Trailer 00:56 – From President to CEO 04:03 – The largest DIU contract ever awarded ($219M) 07:46 – Building the fastest aircraft in the world 11:13 – The operational gap a Mach 5 aircraft can fulfill 13:25 – The road to Mach 5 15:31 – Turbine vs. ramjet engine 18:06 – Is the turbine/ramjet engine hybrid novel? 19:03 – Philosophical concession 20:59 – Overcoming the Mach 3 plateau 23:07 – Where the primes stand on supersonic 25:10 – Thermal challenges of Mach 5 26:50 – Autonomy 29:20 – A manned Mach 5 craft 31:38 – Hermeus's current manufacturing capability and how it'll evolve 34:26 – Biggest opportunity for creating Hermeus customers 37:08 – Adversary capability 40:14 – Is commercial Mach 5 in the near future? 42:40 – Slowdown in innovation 45:40 – Do we need to overhaul the FAA? 47:34 – Aviation in 2035 if Hermeus succeeds 48:47 – Atlanta vs. LA 50:54 – What does Zach do for fun?   • Show notes • Hermeus’ website — https://www.hermeus.com/ Hermes’ socials — https://x.com/hermeuscorp Mo's socials — https://x.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://x.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Ignition’s socials — https://x.com/ignitionnuclear / https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/ Tectonic’s socials — https://x.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/ Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/   • About us • Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), Decoding Bio (biotech) and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies. Payload: www.payloadspace.com Tectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com Ignition: www.ignition-news.com Decoding Bio: www.decodingbio.com