A hypersonic wind tunnel is a specialized facility used to test the aerodynamic properties of objects at speeds greater than five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5. These tunnels simulate the extreme conditions that vehicles, such as rockets and advanced aircraft, would encounter during hypersonic flight. In a hypersonic wind tunnel, air is heated and pressurized to create high-speed airflow. This allows engineers and scientists to study how designs perform under intense aerodynamic forces, helping to improve safety and efficiency in aerospace technology.