FutureWire - futurism and emerging technology

Monday, November 15, 2004

NASA to Fly Scramjet at 7,000 MPH

NASA is planning to fly its experimental X-43A scramjet at 7,000 miles per hour (11,260 kph), as a follow-up to its flight in March that reached nearly 5,000 MPH.

Scramjet technology is exciting because it allows aircraft to achieve very high speeds while using minimal amounts of fuel. However, the X-43A will be retired after this upcoming flight.