Skip Top nav bar link group topnav end piece go to business section go to education section go to history section go to gallery section go to news section go to organizations section go to research section go to search engine go to site index topnav end piece
NASA Meatball NASA Dryden X-43A banner
The X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus¨ booster rocket mounted to NASA's NB-52B carrier aircraft at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California The X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus¨ booster rocket mounted to NASA's NB-52B carrier aircraft at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California
Photo Number: EC01-0079-5
Photo Date: March 13, 2001
Formats: 524x480 JPEG Image (101 KBytes)
1117x1023 JPEG Image (428 KBytes)
3000x2750 JPEG Image (3,780 KBytes)
Description: The first of three X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus¨ booster rocket recently underwent combined systems testing while mounted to NASA's NB-52B carrier aircraft at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The combined systems test was one of the last major milestones in the Hyper-X research program before the first X-43A flight. One of the major goals of the Hyper-X program is flight validation of airframe-integrated, air-breathing propulsion system, which so far have only been tested in ground facilities, such as wind tunnels. The X-43A flights will be the first actual flight tests of an aircraft powered by a revolutionary supersonic-combustion ramjet ("scramjet") engine capable of operating at hypersonic speeds above Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). The X-43A design uses the underbody of the aircraft to form critical elements of the engine. The forebody shape helps compress the intake airflow, while the aft section acts as a nozzle to direct thrust. The 12-foot, unpiloted research vehicle was developed and built by MicroCraft Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., under NASA contract. The booster, built by Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, Va., will accelerate the X-43A after the X-43A/booster "stack" is air-launched from NASA's venerable NB-52 mothership. The X-43A will separate from the rocket at a predetermined altitude and speed and fly a pre-programmed trajectory, conducting aerodynamic and propulsion experiments until it descends into the Pacific Ocean. Three research flights are planned, two at Mach 7 and one at Mach 10.
NASA Photo by: Tony Landis
Keywords: X-43; X-43A; Hyper-X; NB-52B; B-52; scramjet; mated; combined systems testing; hypersonic; Pegasus

Skip bottom nav bar link group Business | Education | History | Gallery | News Room | Organizations | Research | Search | Site Index

Last Modified: February 6, 2002
Responsible NASA Official: Marty Curry
Curator: PAO Webmasters

NASA Website Privacy Statement