NASA X-43A to Mach 7.0

AT 12:40 P.M. PACIFIC STANDARD TIME on March 27, 2004, a NASA B-52B mothership took off from NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB in California with a Pegasus booster rocket attached to a pylon under its right wing. Attached to the rocket's nose was a hypersonic X-43A-the second one built.

Just before 2 p.m. at about 95,000 feet, the booster rocket launched the X-43A over the Pacific Ocean. Its hydrogen-fueled, supersonic-combustion, air-breathing ramjet, or "scramjet," engine operated for approximately 10 seconds until its fuel supply was exhausted. The X-43A reportedly reached a top speed of slightly more than Mach 7.0 (5,190mph) during its first powered free flight. NASA plans to the fly an X-43A at close to Mach 10.0 (7,415mph) before it declares hydrogen-fueled ramjet-engine technology a complete success.

-Steve Pace

Copyright Air Age Publishing Aug 2004
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