Mach 9.6 X-43 ‘Hypersonic Scramjet’ Has a Message for the Air Force

Mach 9.6 X-43 ‘Hypersonic Scramjet’ Has a Message for the Air Force

Key Points and Summary – NASA’s X-43 Hyper-X program made history in 2004 when its scramjet-powered X-43A became the fastest air-breathing vehicle ever, hitting Mach 9.6 and shattering SR-71 speed records. -Launched from a B-52 and boosted by a rocket stage, the unmanned X-43A was a single-use testbed to prove hypersonic, air-breathing flight. -Yet the […] The post Mach 9.6 X-43 ‘Hypersonic Scramjet’ Has a Message for the Air Force appeared firs…