NASA To Test Hypersonic Scramjet!

[chanoc]

linky

NASA to test hypersonic scramjet
AFP
November 15, 2004
WASHINGTON: NASA will today conduct the final and fastest test flight of its pilotless X-43A hypersonic research aircraft, aiming to send it zooming across the Pacific Ocean at about 10 times the speed of sound -- almost 3.2 kilometers (two miles) per second.

If the test is successful, it will beat the record set in March by another X-43A, which powered up its scramjet engine and performed "flawlessly" for 11 seconds, attaining speeds of seven times the speed of sound, or Mach 7.

Scramjet stands for supersonic combustion ramjet, a new type of engine that burns fuel in a stream of air compressed by the forward speed of the aircraft.

Conventional jet engines use rotating blades to draw in and compress air, and cannot obtain supersonic speeds.

<snip content="continued" how="follow link at top" />

Right on NASA!!!!!

Real science (not bullcrap pseudoscience) is so cool!

 

[CMillerERAU]

Its an awesome technology but sadly there may be limited uses for it. The major problem of not making an airplane that is efficient in both subsonic and supersonic flight, IMO, is a much more practical thing to be studying. Then again, scramjets will definately help some areas such as spaceflight become more economical without the need of those pesky rockets. ;-)

 

[wdlove]

I certainly hope that this will be successful, NASA could use a boost. It might help moral looking toward the return of the shuttle mission next year. They need a new type of engine for space flight. Hopefully this will be the engine for shuttle replacement.

 

[gwuMACaddict]

this isnt going to help anything 'fly' in space, just for clarification... there is a scale model of the scramjet and an interesting video in nasa headquarters in washington dc, if any of the local members are interested. they have done test launches from a modified b2 bomber- its neat to see.

 

[Chaszmyr]

Its an awesome technology but sadly there may be limited uses for it. The major problem of not making an airplane that is efficient in both subsonic and supersonic flight, IMO, is a much more practical thing to be studying. Then again, scramjets will definately help some areas such as spaceflight become more economical without the need of those pesky rockets. ;-)

Actually, if you read the article, you'd know that it said the advantage of scramjets is that they can be throttled back to be flown like an airplane.

 

[G4scott]

this isnt going to help anything 'fly' in space, just for clarification... there is a scale model of the scramjet and an interesting video in nasa headquarters in washington dc, if any of the local members are interested. they have done test launches from a modified b2 bomber- its neat to see.

It might not help anything fly in space, but it can help a vehicle travel into orbit. Cutting down on all the fuel used for a normal rocket liftoff would surely help make launching the a shuttle cheaper and easier...

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Not only is it a potential for an orbital launch platform (think of it as the White Knight for Space Ship One - but flying so much faster and higher). If they ever make a commercial version of it, trans-pacific and trans-atlantic flights take a fraction of the time.

Its the right direction to go - I just hope everything works out and we see newer version flying soon.

D

 

[Apple Hobo]

Conventional jet engines use rotating blades to draw in and compress air, and cannot obtain supersonic speeds.

Um, yeah they can. Perhaps the writer meant hypersonic.

 

[absolut_mac]

Here are some pics for those that are interested...

Right on NASA!!!!!

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

 

[MacSA]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/x43a/status.html

Here is a release from NASA on today's launch:

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.

 

[MacSA]

I certainly hope that this will be successful, NASA could use a boost.

NASA have dozens of active and scientificaly productive missions currently in operation. The Mars rovers are still operating well for example - although the press lost interest in them months ago. If you want info on NASA activities youll need to go to dedicated space news site, the main stream news are appalling at dealiing with science.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/index.html