NASA's X-43A Scramjet Streaks Across Sky

[obby]

Would you believe that this jet flew at speeds over 5000 MPH (7 times the speed of sound)

Full Details Here:

http://space.com/missionlaunches/x43_launch_040327.html

[philippio]

That's hypersonic speed (not quite as fast as ludicrous speed ). To get an idea of how fast that is, the Concorde's service speed was Mach 2.04 and it could fly from New York to London in just about 3 hours. It was powered by 4 RR Olympus afterburning turbojets.

[hmnyc]

Originally posted by philippio

That's hypersonic speed (not quite as fast as ludicrous speed ). To get an idea of how fast that is, the Concorde's service speed was Mach 2.04 and it could fly from New York to London in just about 3 hours. It was powered by 4 RR Olympus afterburning turbojets.

PHIL U R SUCH A POST WHORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[funketeer]

fucking cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[erickamikaze]

This is really kickass. I watched it live on CNN on Saturday.

NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on March 27, 2004. Credit: NASA/Tom Tschida

They towed it up into suborbit by this:

Making History: NASA's X-43A Scramjet Streaks Across Sky

By Leonard David

Senior Space Writer

posted: 09:40 pm ET

27 March 2004

UPDATE: Story first posted 5:37 p.m. EST, March 27, 2004

Aviation history was made today as NASA successfully flew its experimental X-43A research vehicle, a forerunner of craft that could well offer alternate access to space in the future.

Preliminary indications are that the craft appeared to meet a major milestone: propelling itself slightly over Mach 7, seven times the speed of sound, or some 5,000 miles per hour.

Images

Comparision of X-43A hypersonic scramjet engine with conventional jet engine. Credit: NASA/Dave Faust

NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on March 27, 2004. Credit: NASA/Tom Tschida

Illustration of X-43A March 27, 2004 mission profile. Credit: NASA/Dave Faust

More Stories

NASA Ready to Launch X-43A for Second Flight

Testing Mishap to Delay X-43A Flight At Least a Month

NASA's Second Hyper-X Plane Prepares for Flight

NASA's Second Hyper-X Ready for Captive Carry Test

EXCLUSIVE: Cause of X-43A Hyper-X Crash Identified

"It was fun all the way to Mach 7," said Joel Sitz, X-43 Project Manager at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research at Edwards, California during a press briefing after the flight.

The X-43A test shot is part of NASA’s Hyper-X program, a research effort to try out propulsion technologies for high-speed flight within the atmosphere and into Earth orbit.

A major objective of the unmanned X-43A flight was shaking out air-breathing supersonic-combustion ramjet (scramjet) engine technology.

Unlike the space shuttle that must haul along weighty amounts of liquid oxygen to burn with liquid hydrogen, scramjets use the atmosphere as fuel. Doing so means a scramjet-carrying craft could haul more payload into orbit.

Without a hitch

"We went off without a hitch," said Bradford Neal, test conductor for the flight Saturday.

Griffin Corpening, X-43A chief engineer at Dryden, said the X-43A "scooted out to Mach 7…just an outstanding job." Data was received from the vehicle all the way down to its splash down in the Pacific Ocean. "It really hung in there," he said.

Corpening said the data collected during the flight will be intensely studied over the next weeks, months, and probably years.

"It has been an outstanding record-breaking day. It really has," said Larry Huebner, Hyper-X scramjet propulsion research engineer at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Based on preliminary data, he said, the vehicle experienced positive acceleration while climbing due to the performance of its scramjet engine.

"Our vehicle under airbreathing power went over 15 miles," Huebner reported. The flight today was the first-ever airframe integrated scramjet engine experiment. "We can claim an air-breathing powered record today…no doubt about it."

But now, Huebner said, "it’s time to roll up our sleeves and start looking at some data."

Winged surfboard

Today’s test of the 12-foot ((3.7 meters) long X-43A began with the vehicle being toted skyward from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base, California by a B-52 carrier aircraft. The experimental craft -- taking on the look of a winged surfboard -- was attached to a modified Pegasus XL booster.

After reaching a designated altitude, the NASA B-52 released the X-43A/Pegasus booster combination high over the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division Sea Range over the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern California.

A long contrail arced up and away from the B-52 as the modified Pegasus boosted the X-43A. A normal separation of the test vehicle from the booster could clearly be seen. The craft remained stable during release from its booster.

The X-43A continued its speedy flight, opening up an intake chamber that allowed a high-speed stream of oxygen into the vehicle. That port was then closed, and all appeared to work as planned as mission controllers clapped and hugged each other.

Gulping up the atmosphere as it shot through the sky, the craft pushed that air into a scramjet. Carried onboard the X-43A is a small quantity of hydrogen that mixed with the incoming oxygen. That mix was then combusted, pushing the plane forward to high-mach speeds.

Following the engine test, the X-43A began gliding and maneuvering for several minutes before nosing into Pacific Ocean waters within a restricted test zone.

Tough engineering challenge

The $250 million program began with conceptual design and scramjet engine wind tunnel work in 1996.

According to a NASA statement, this is the first time a non-rocket, air-breathing scramjet engine has powered a vehicle in flight at hypersonic speeds. No vehicle has ever flown at hypersonic speeds powered by an air-breathing scramjet engine.

The rocket boost and subsequent separation from the rocket to get to the scramjet test condition have complex elements that must work properly to assure flight success. There are few or no moving parts in the scramjet. Achieving proper engine ignition and combustion, in a matter of milliseconds, is considered a key engineering challenge.

No easy ride

It has not been an easy ride for the X-43A program.

On June 2, 2001, the X-43A/booster combination -- called the stack -- veered out of control shortly after release from the NASA B-52 aircraft. The stack was destroyed by ground control less than 50 seconds after release. The failure occurred before the X-43A could be released.

A mishap study board cleared the way for a return-to-flight of the X-43A. No one contributing factor was singled out as being the prime cause of the vehicle's failure. However, those studying the failure underscored inaccuracies in computer and wind-tunnel tests to prove the X-43A/booster was flight worthy and ready for its maiden test.

Today’s successful flight is the work of a government-private sector partnership.

ATK GASL in Tullahoma, Tennessee, built both the vehicle and the engine, and Boeing Phantom Works in Huntington Beach, California, designed the thermal protection and propulsion control systems. The booster is a modified Pegasus rocket from Orbital Sciences Corporation of Chandler, Arizona.

NASA's Langley Research Center and Dryden Flight Research Center jointly conduct the Hyper-X program.

[obby]

No excuses now. If there is a target that needs to be eliminated for some security reason.............No excuses that we took to long to get to them now.

Can you imagine? Unmanned and armed?

[philippio]

Originally posted by hmnyc

PHIL U R SUCH A POST WHORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and you stole Cezar's avatar!

[hmnyc]

Originally posted by philippio

and you stole Cezar's avatar!

HEY STOOOPID, YOU KNOW NOTHING