NASA's X-43A Aircraft to Attempt Mach 10 Today

Posts: 2723

The following exerpt is from NASA:

X-43A flight schedule update
The final flight of NASA's X-43A hypersonic research aircraft is still on schedule for Monday afternoon, Nov. 15, weather permitting. The mission is intended to flight-validate the operation of the X-43A's supersonic-combustion ramjet - or scramjet - engine at a record airspeed of almost Mach 10, or 10 times the speed of sound. The X-43A and its modified Pegasus booster rocket was mated to NASA's B-52B launch aircraft on Thursday, Nov. 11. Pre-flight checks of the X-43A and the booster are occurring Friday and Saturday, with final closeouts and fueling slated for Sunday, Nov. 14th. Takeoff on Nov. 15 is tentatively scheduled for about 1 p.m. Pacific time, with launch about an hour later over the Pacific test range off the coast of Southern California.

This flight schedule information will be updated periodically as new information becomes available.

http://www.nasa.gov/missions/research/x43-main.html

Posts: 3258 · Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 10:51 am Post subject:

sounds very cool
i never knew they had gotten anywhere near mach 10!

Posts: 1475 · Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 9:32 pm Post subject:

well thats definatly a refreshment for my knowledge!
i thought they were only up to mach 4...

Posts: 2723 · Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 12:11 am Post subject:

Nothin like a little Mach 10 in the morning..

UPDATE:
X-43A Mach 10 Mission Scrubbed For Today
NASA's third X-43A hypersonic research mission has been scrubbed for today due to technical glitches with X-43A instrumentation. When the issues were addressed, not enough time remained in the launch window.

Another flight attempt will be made tomorrow. Tomorrow's launch window for the X-43A/Pegasus combination will be from 2-4 p.m., PST.

Posts: 399 · Modder Joined: 15 Sep 2004 Posts: 399

I knew they'd been past Mach 5, but Mach 10! Thats Awesome Shocked

Being an Aviation buff that I am, this is great news! Thanks for that.

Cheers.

Posts: 3258 · Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 12:24 pm Post subject:

Yeah, read yesterday it was scrapped. Thats not cool.. But they'll do it eventually im sure =P

Posts: 2723 · Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 2:19 pm Post subject:

UPDATE:

Outlook Good for X-43A Mach 10 Flight Today
The prognosis is good for flight today of NASA's third X-43A following yesterday's scrubbed mission.

The X-43A team spent the evening troubleshooting the research vehicle's instrumentation problem, and confidence is high that the issue has been resolved.

B-52B liftoff is slated for 1 p.m., PST today, Nov. 16, 2004, with launch of the Pegasus/X-43A stack about one hour later. The launch window is from 2-4 p.m., PST.

The high-risk, unpiloted 12-foot-long scramjet-powered vehicle will be launched from the wing of the B-52B over the Pacific Ocean at an altitude of 40,000 feet, then boosted to the test altitude of nearly 110,000 feet by its modified Pegasus booster rocket. Following separation from the booster, the X-43A will fly briefly under its own power at nearly 10 times the speed of sound, or 7,000 mph.

Mission events will be broadcast on NASA TV http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

Posts: 3258 · Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 2:50 pm Post subject:

wow
awesome
keep us updated =P

Posts: 2723 · Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 11:54 pm Post subject: They've Done It!

They've done it!

UPDATE: NASA's X-43A Scramjet Breaks Speed Record
NASA's X-43A research vehicle screamed into the record books again Tuesday, 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 nearly Mach 9.8, or 7,000 mph, as it flew at about 110,000 feet.

The high-risk, high-payoff flight, originally scheduled for Nov. 15, took place in restricted airspace over the Pacific Ocean northwest of Los Angeles. The flight was the last and fastest of three unpiloted flight tests in NASA's Hyper-X Program. The program's purpose is 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.

Posts: 3258 · Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2004 9:38 am Post subject:

very, VERY cool.
Couldn't imagine seeing that thing in person =P

And think back a while, look at all the trouble they had breaking the sound barrier. Its a very interesting concept.

Posts: 2723 · Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2004 7:31 pm Post subject:

I'd like to see them apply that to commercial airliners. It would cut international flight times by a solid margin.

Posts: 1475 · Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2004 11:13 pm Post subject:

i agree with haggs, they should try to apply this to commercial airline jets. huge gain for airline industries right there.