Posted on 11/16/2004 3:28:29 PM PST by 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.
XBob, you obviously did not read post #71.
Wow! What a coincidence. One day after our posts, look what was newstory broke:
Nov 17, 6:52 AM (ET)
MOSCOW (AP) - President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia is developing a new form of nuclear missile unlike those held by other countries, news agencies reported.
Speaking at a meeting of the Armed Forces' leadership, Putin reportedly said that Russia is researching and successfully testing new nuclear missile systems.
"I am sure that ... they will be put in service within the next few years and, what is more, they will be developments of the kind that other nuclear powers do not and will not have," Putin was quoted as saying by the ITAR-Tass news agency.
Putin reportedly said: "International terrorism is one of the major threats for Russia. We understand as soon as we ignore such components of our defense as a nuclear and missile shield, other threats may occur."
No details were immediately available, but Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said earlier this month that Russia expected to test-fire a mobile version of its Topol-M ballistic missile this year and that production of the new weapon could be commissioned in 2005.
News reports have also said Russia is believed to be developing a next-generation heavy nuclear missile that could carry up to 10 nuclear warheads weighing a total of 4.4 tons, compared with the Topol-M's 1.32-ton combat payload.
Topol-Ms have been deployed in silos since 1998. The missiles have a range of about 6,000 miles and reportedly can maneuver in ways that are difficult to detect.
Earlier this year, a senior Defense Ministry official was quoted as telling news agencies that Russia had developed a weapon that could make the United States' proposed missile-defense system useless. Details were not given, but military analysts said the claimed new weapon could be a hypersonic cruise missile or maneuverable ballistic missile warheads. [ i.e., with scramjet maneuverable warheads, and/or final stage scramet maneuverable technology]
Cute!
Chip Hazard reporting for duty.
"..."The craft was designed to sink and will not be recovered. "..."
Much like the Kerry/Edwards campaign.
Silly Mission, Aurora is a figment of your menagerie. Nothing to see here; move along! < /tongue-in-cheek >
Stewardess, could you throw another cup of water in my face?
"Wouldn't it be almost lethal to fly in something going that fast?"
Only if was on open cockpit.
With velocity, all things are relative, so to speak. Now the ACCELERATION might be tricky.
Now, THAT'S what I'm talking about!!!!!
Why not just wait two weeks, then it won't be dark any more. :P
To see how large the alien complexes are today, of course. ;-)
It wasn't an SS-25. The Hypersonic Glide Vehicle was mounted on the SS-19 (STILLETO).
Now that is cool. Why did NASA not want to recover the craft?
When you get really small, Barbie the stew. is really hot.
It flys free.
A blob of titanium and carbon fiber.
Thanks. The flight control systems on that thing must have been real special.
That is not correct. Yo may be referring to another test. In this test, an SS-25 TOPOL (redesignated SS-27) was used.
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