We have developed launch capabilities that can propel macroscopic plates to hypervelocities (8 to 16 km/s). This capability has been used to determine the first time-resolved wave-profile measurements unsing velocity interferometry techniques at impact velocities of 10 km/s. These measurements show that aluminum continues to exhibit normal release behavior to 161 GPa with complete loss of strength in the shocked state. Results of these experiments are discussed and compared with the results of lower-pressure experiments conducted at lower impact velocities. ©2000 American Institute of Physics.