X-43A Flight Makes Aviation History
Image above: A modified Pegasus booster rocket ignites moments after release from the B-52B, beginning the acceleration of the X-43A over the Pacific Ocean in March of 2004. The X-43A vehicle is mounted on the nose of the rocket. Credit: NASA
NASA made aviation history with the first and second successful flights of a scramjet-powered airplane at hypersonic speeds -- speeds greater than Mach 5 or five times the speed of sound. Compared to a rocket-powered vehicle like the Space Shuttle, scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) powered vehicles promise more airplane-like operations for increased affordability, flexibility and safety for ultra highspeed flights within the atmosphere and into Earth orbit. Because they do not have to carry bulky oxygen tanks, as rockets must, vehicles powered by air-breathing scramjets can be smaller and lighter.
Researchers have worked for decades to demonstrate scramjet technologies, first in wind tunnels and computer simulations, and now in an airplane in flight. Ultimate applications include future hypersonic missiles, hypersonic airplanes, the first stage of two-stage-to-orbit reusable launch vehicles and single-stage-to-orbit reusable launch vehicles.
![]() | ||
![]() | ||
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() X-43A Flight Makes Aviation History The first and second successful hypersonic flights of a scramjet-powered airplane. + Read More + View PDF | ||
![]() | ||
![]() High Risk, High Payoff Though careful analysis and design minimized the risks, Hyper-X was a bold step. + Read More | ||
![]() | ||
![]() The Record-Breaking Flights During its third flight, the X-43A flew at about 7,000 miles per hour. + Read More | ||
![]() | ||
![]() 2001 Flight and Investigation On the first Hyper-X flight attempt, the booster failed. + Read More | ||
![]() | ||
![]() How Scramjets Work In a scramjet, even the airflow through the engine remains supersonic. + Read More | ||
![]() |