On June 2, 2001,
NASA's first
scramjet test was aborted after a serious failure of the rocket booster intended to bring the craft up to speed. According to NASA, the
Pegasus booster went wildly off-course, forcing them to
detonate on-board explosives to stop it.
The
X-43A test craft was attached to the booster and lifted to a safe distance by a
B-52 bomber. The booster and jet were then detached, at which time the rocket was
ignited to lift the X-43A to
100,000 feet before turning the scramjet on. Had the
booster not failed, the X-43A would have been active for 10 seconds, covering 17 miles at a burst of over
Mach 7, or 5,000
miles per hour before being coasted to a stop on the water below.
After the
X-43A is re-tested, another two
tests are planned for the
X-43B and
C, to further test
scramjet technology.
March 27, 2004
The
X-43A was successfully flown today. The
hypersonic scramjet was launched from a
B52, then elevated to 95,000 feet by a rocket booster. At this point, it flew under its own power for 10
seconds, reaching the predicted top speed of
Mach 7. It glided for several minutes for gather aerodynamic
data.