X43-A on to Mach 10

Posted by CmdrTaco on Thursday July 15, 2004 @08:37AM from the place-hands-on-cheeks-and-pull-back dept.

Cat_Byte writes "On March 28 we read about the X43-A hitting Mach 7 with a successful scramjet test. Prior to that on June 2, 2001 the craft tore itself to pieces during a trial run. Well now they are preparing to hit Mach 10. The upcoming Mach 10 run of the X-43A appears to mark an end of the program. The seven-year, approximately $250 million Hyper-X program was created to provide unique "first time" data on hypersonic air-breathing engine technologies. "At Mach 7, the front leading edge of the vehicle would see about 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit. At Mach 10, its probably twice that -- twice the heat load essentially," Sitz explained FYI, Mach 10 is about 2 miles per second."

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Re:I'm impressed by ViolentGreen · 2004-07-15 08:42 · Score: 4, Insightful

Two miles per second is an almost unfathomable speed to me. It's like me trying to fully grasp the vast distances of the universe. I just can't do it.

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Not everything is analogous to cars. Car analogies rarely work.
Re:why is this public knowledge? by JesseL · 2004-07-15 09:04 · Score: 4, Insightful

Because we didn't want people knowing there were stealth planes up there spying on/bombing them, but it's pretty obvious when somthing goes across your radar screen at mach 10. If you can't hide it you might as well show it off.

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"Prefiero morir de pie que vivir siempre arrodillado!"