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NASA Meatball X-43A Photo Collection banner
 
X-43A

A modified Pegasus rocket ignites moments after release from the B-52B, beginning the acceleration of the X-43A over the Pacific Ocean on Nov. 16, 2004.
 
Photo Number: EC04-0325-37
Photo Date: November 16, 2004
 
Formats: 640x621 JPEG Image (263 KBytes)
1280x1242 JPEG Image (1227 KBytes)
3000x2910 JPEG Image (6741 KBytes)
 
Photo
Description:		 The third X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket accelerate after launch from NASA's B-52B launch aircraft over the Pacific Ocean on November 16, 2004. The mission originated from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Minutes later the X-43A separated from the Pegasus booster and accelerated to its intended speed of Mach 10.
 
Project
Description:		 The high-risk, high-payoff X-43A flights are the first actual flight tests of an aircraft powered by a scramjet engine capable of operating at hypersonic speeds (above Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound). The X-43A is powered by a revolutionary air-breathing supersonic-combustion ramjet or "scramjet" engine.
 
NASA Photo by: Carla Thomas
 
Keywords: X-43A, X-43, Hyper-X, mach 10, vehicle 3, #3 hypersonic, B-52, B-52B, mothership, scramjet, ignites, ignition, Pegasus booster rocket
 
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Last Modified: November 17, 2004
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