The RTO VKI Lecture Series on "High speed propulsion: engine design - integration and thermal management" will be held at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (Belgium) from March 8 to March 12, 2010. Hypersonic systems will provide a revolution in commercial transport, space access (lower power density), and military missions (global reach in 2 hours). Although hypersonic technology has significantly matured over the last 40 years, technical challenges remain. The objective of this RTO lecture series is to provide clear guidelines regarding the design of the propulsion unit and integration into the airframe. First the intake physics, design and optimization will be addressed. Turbine based cycles and rocket based cycles will be considered. An important issue to be discussed is the thermal management of both the engine and vehicle. Issues related to the potential use of new synthetic fuels will also be addressed.