NASA Launches Unmanned Hypersonic Jet

AP News ^ | November 16, 2004 | AP

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

LOS ANGELES (AP) - An unmanned NASA jet was launched over the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday in a bid to demonstrate a radical new engine technology by flying at a world-record 7,000 mph - almost 10 times the speed of sound.

The 12-foot-long X-43A "scramjet" was carried aloft under the wing of a B-52 aircraft and released over a test range off the Southern California coast. It was to fly under its own power at Mach 10 for about 10 seconds at 110,000 feet, then glide to a splash landing. The craft was designed to sink and will not be recovered.

Unlike rockets, scramjets do not have to carry heavy oxidizer necessary to burn fuel. Instead, they can scoop oxygen out of the atmosphere.

Scramjet technology could be used to develop hypersonic missiles and airplanes or reusable space launch vehicles, with a potential for speeds of at least Mach 15.

The first X-43A flight failed in 2001 when the booster rocket veered off course and had to be destroyed. The second X-43A flew in March and reached Mach 6.83, or nearly 5,000 mph, a record for an aircraft powered by an air-breathing engine.

[RadioAstronomer]

It was attached to the nose of the booster and yes it flew free. :-)

[U S Army EOD]

Do you think this thing will out run this Zenith 701 I am fixing to buy??

[Jaysun]

NASA did a good job through the Apollo program because it acted more as an agenda setter and a clearing house for technology. The aerospace companies of the day did most of the heavy-lifting. Now NASA is like an old-fashioned, government-run arsenal. Inefficient to say the least. Of course, we have far fewer aerospace companies to turn to than in the 50's and 60's.

It's true that we have far fewer aerospace companies to turn to than in the 50's and 60's, but we're also not trying to get to the moon for the first time. What's come of the hundreds of billions of dollars sent to NASA since then? Foam mattress material that's being touted on infomercials and TANG?

[Lunatic Fringe]

At that speed, if it could be sustained, it can circle the earth in 3.5 hours.

[RadioAstronomer]

Ah, landing might have required another 13 months.

Except this was an ion engine. Not very practical for short hops to the Moon and such. However, across the solar system they shine.

I still favor VASIMR or NERVA myself. Possibly using ion engines for lateral thrust and/or monoprops (hydrazine with platinum/iridium catbeds) for attitude control or quick rotations.

[RadioAstronomer]

What's come of the hundreds of billions of dollars sent to NASA since then? Foam mattress material that's being touted on infomercials and TANG?

New understandings of this planet, solar system, and the entire universe for one thing. How about improved telemetry/com design, material sciences, propulsion systems, etc.

[Jaysun]

How about improved telemetry/com design, material sciences, propulsion systems, etc.

Those things are wonderful, but I still say that private enterprise is more than capable of giving birth to such things - in a much quicker and cost effective fashion.

[RadioAstronomer]

but I still say that private enterprise is more than capable of giving birth to such things

Where is the return to the stockholders for a Mars mission, space telescope, radio telescope, map of the surface of Venus, gamma ray telescope, etc?

Some things require Gov funding to be accomplished.

[Jaysun]

Where is the return to the stockholders for a Mars mission, space telescope, radio telescope, map of the surface of Venus, gamma ray telescope, etc?

Some things require Gov funding to be accomplished.

Yes I know. As I said before, they have a role. I just wish it wasn't such a money pit that's all.

[Boiler Plate]

That looks an kinda like Uncle Martin's ride.

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

??? FAS.org claims solid propellants through 3 stages then bus for warheads.

I should have clarified that. The TOPOL they used was modified with a scramjet.

If you Google the following:

TOPOL scramjet

you will see a number of articles about this. Here follows the text of one:

Russia is deploying a new series of nuclear tipped missiles with warheads designed with the aid of US supercomputers. The new Russian SS-27 missile - an uprated version of the SS-25 TOPOL Mod One - is being moved directly into deployment with an advanced 550 kiloton nuclear warhead made by the Arzamas-16 nuclear design bureau. The SS-27 design has also been exported to China and will be built under license as the DF-41.

Russia is testing a new warhead for its SS-27 TOPOL M. The new warhead is reported to be a nuclear-armed supersonic ramjet, or Scramjet, capable of avoiding U.S.-designed anti-ballistic missiles. The recent successful SS-27 test showed the Scramjet warhead was able to fly at high speeds in the upper reaches of the atmosphere.

[XBob]

TOPOL (SS-25). is a 3 stage solid fuel rocket

[DB]

The booster rocket gets it to minimum scramjet operational speed and then the craft separates and flies under its own power from there.

[DB]

Only if you hit something not going that fast...

[ex-Texan]

Very funny posts !

[snopercod]

Thanks. How's the house coming along?

[DB]

All the walls are up and trusses set.

We're trying to get a roof on it in the next couple of weeks...

There's been about 7" of rain so far which is very unusual here and that has slowed things down some.

House prices are still rising in this area, so far... So it hasn't been a mistake yet to hold on to our current house and not sell it until the new house is done.

It is expected to take another 6 to 8 months to complete our new home and I don't think it is likely the housing market will turn too sour in that time. Fingers crossed...

Thanks for asking!

[houeto]

I hope that moon probe takes some pics of the dark side of the moon.

Why?

[alwaysconservative]

This is so cool! Now the government ought to sell some of its less-classified research to the US private sector, have the private sector "run with it", and make private applications of this technology.