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USAF Scramjet Hits Mach 6, Sets Record

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the get-where-yer-going dept.

s122604 writes "The [X-51A Waverider]'s scramjet engine accelerated the vehicle to Mach 6, and it flew autonomously for 200 seconds before losing acceleration. At that point the test was terminated. The Air Force said the previous record for a hypersonic scramjet burn was 12 seconds. Joe Vogel, Boeing's director of hypersonics, said, 'This is a new world record and sets the foundation for several hypersonic applications, including access to space, reconnaissance, strike, global reach and commercial transportation.'"

5 of 326 comments (clear)

  1. Uh hu by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Commercial transportation at Mach 6. That's definitely the application they're striving for. Definitely. Don't you have enough deadly toys by now?

    1. Re:Uh hu by Idiomatick · · Score: 0, Troll

      The last air-speed record NOT set by the military was in 1935 at 566km/h. The fastest commercial aircraft today is 2,500km/h. I imagine that some of the tech was from the military.

      While I'd love a world where science and science funding was not mostly military table scraps the options we have at the moment seem to be military scraps or a complete lack of scientific funding and development.

    2. Re:Uh hu by radtea · · Score: 0, Troll

      Whether or not you agree with it, military research has led to an enormous number of scientific advances that were initially used by the military but later disseminated more broadly.

      So did the space programme, with the notable advantage that it killed orders of magnitude fewer people.

      So while military research is one particularly wasteful and stupid way to get these results, there is really no justification for promoting over the many other ways that are far less wasteful and stupid.

      --
      Blasphemy is a human right. Blasphemophobia kills.
    3. Re:Uh hu by radtea · · Score: 0, Troll

      Killed millions and millions of people?

      --
      Blasphemy is a human right. Blasphemophobia kills.
  2. FYI... by TrisexualPuppy · · Score: 0, Troll

    flew autonomously for 200 seconds before losing acceleration

    Google search query: 200 seconds * (mach 6) in miles

    This brings us to about 254 miles in 200 seconds. Beats my morning commute speeds.