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NASA Headquarters Responsible Official: Tony Springer
Curator:
SAIC Information Services
www.aeronautics.nasa.gov
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NASA's X-43A research vehicle screamed into the record books in
November, demonstrating an air-breathing engine can fly at nearly 10
times the speed of sound. Preliminary data from the scramjet-powered
research vehicle show its revolutionary engine worked successfully at
approximately Mach 10, nearly 7000 mph, as it flew at an altitude of
approximately 110,000 feet.
The flight took place in restricted airspace over the Pacific Ocean
northwest of Los Angeles. The flight was the last and fastest of three
unpiloted tests in NASA's Hyper-X Program. The program's purpose was to
explore an alternative to rocket power for space access vehicles.
"This flight is a key milestone and a major step toward the future
possibilities for producing boosters for sending large and critical
payloads into space in a reliable, safe, inexpensive manner," said NASA
Administrator Sean O'Keefe. "These developments will also help us
advance the Vision for Space Exploration, while helping to advance
commercial aviation technology," Administrator O'Keefe said.
Supersonic combustion ramjets (scramjets) promise more airplane-like
operations for increased affordability, flexibility and safety in ultra
high-speed flights within the atmosphere and for the first stage to
Earth orbit. The scramjet advantage is once it accelerates to
approximately Mach 4 by a conventional jet engine or booster rocket, it
can fly at supersonic speeds, possibly as fast as Mach 15, without
carrying heavy oxygen tanks, as rockets must.
The design of the engine, which has no moving parts, compresses the air
passing through it, so it can ignite the fuel. Another advantage is
scramjets can be throttled back and flown more like an airplane, unlike
rockets, which tend to produce nearly or full thrust all the time.
The Hyper-X Program, managed by the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission
Directorate in Washington is conducted jointly by NASA's Langley
Research Center, Hampton, Va., and Dryden Flight Research Center,
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
For more information, see:
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/research/x43-main.html
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