X-43A flight schedule update The final flight of NASA's X-43A hypersonic research aircraft is still on schedule for Monday afternoon, Nov. 15, weather permitting. The mission is intended to flight-validate the operation of the X-43A's supersonic-combustion ramjet - or scramjet - engine at a record airspeed of almost Mach 10, or 10 times the speed of sound. The X-43A and its modified Pegasus booster rocket was mated to NASA's B-52B launch aircraft on Thursday, Nov. 11. Pre-flight checks of the X-43A and the booster are occurring Friday and Saturday, with final closeouts and fueling slated for Sunday, Nov. 14th. Takeoff on Nov. 15 is tentatively scheduled for about 1 p.m. Pacific time, with launch about an hour later over the Pacific test range off the coast of Southern California. This flight schedule information will be updated periodically as new information becomes available.                                                              Update... NASA X-43A 'Scramjet' Readied For Mach 10 Flight 11.09.04 Release: 04-072 NASA's high-risk, high-payoff Hyper-X Program is ready to attempt its greatest challenge yet - flying a "scramjet"-powered X-43A research vehicle at nearly 10 times the speed of sound. Officials have set Nov. 15 or 16 for the flight, which will take place in restricted U.S. Naval airspace over the Pacific Ocean northwest of Los Angeles. This will be the last and, by far, the fastest of three unpiloted flight tests designed to explore an intriguing alternative to rocket power for space access vehicles. Supersonic combustion ramjets - or scramjets - promise more airplane-like operations for increased affordability, flexibility and safety for ultra high-speed flights within the atmosphere and for the first stage to Earth orbit. The scramjet advantage is that, once they are accelerated to about Mach 4 (four times the speed of sound) by a conventional jet airplane engine, it is believed that they can be flown in the atmosphere up to about Mach 15 without having to carry heavy oxygen tanks as rockets must. Also, rockets tend to produce full thrust or nearly full thrust all the time; scramjets can be throttled back and flown more like an airplane. The scramjet concept is simple: Accelerate the vehicle to about Mach 4 by a conventional jet engine, then start the scramjet engine (which has few or no moving parts) by introducing fuel and mixing it with oxygen obtained from the air and compressed for combustion. The air is naturally compressed by the forward speed of the vehicle and the shape of the inlet, similar to what turbines or pistons do in slower-moving airplanes and cars. While the concept is simple, proving the concept has not been simple. At operational speeds, flow through the scramjet engine is supersonic - or faster than the speed of sound. At that speed, ignition and combustion take place in a matter of milliseconds. This is one reason it has taken researchers decades to demonstrate scramjet technologies, first in wind tunnels and computer simulations, and only recently in experimental flight tests. The upcoming flight will be the third of three flights in the eight-year, $230 million Hyper-X Program. The first flight, in 2001, was ended prematurely when the booster rocket veered off course and had to be destroyed before the test could begin. The second flight, in March of this year, was a resounding success. The 12-foot-long X-43A research vehicle was delivered to the proper altitude and test speed, where its scramjet engine started and performed flawlessly for 11 seconds, as planned. In the process of demonstrating a scramjet-powered airplane in flight for the first time, the March 2004 flight set a world speed record for an "air breathing" (jet-powered) vehicle. It flew at nearly Mach 7, or 5,000 mph. It easily surpassed the previous record set by the military's now-retired SR-71 Blackbird high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, which flew at about Mach 3.2. For the third and final flight, there are several significant differences from the second flight. At Mach 10, the third X-43A vehicle will be zooming westward over the Pacific at approximately 7,000 mph or almost two miles per second. The vehicle will have additional thermal protection, since it will experience heating roughly twice that experienced by the Mach 7 vehicle. Reinforced carbon-carbon composite material is being added to the leading edges of the vehicle?s vertical fins as well as the nose and wings to handle the higher temperatures. Also for the Mach 10 flight, the booster rocket will launch the X-43A higher (110,000 ft v. 95,000 ft) before it separates and the X-43A starts its scramjet. The X-43A will travel further (about 850 v. 450 miles) before splashing into the ocean. Ultimate applications of scramjet technology include future hypersonic missiles, hypersonic airplanes, and reusable single- or two-stage-to-orbit launch vehicles. The final X-43A mission is expected to be the last research mission for NASA's venerable B-52B "mothership" heavy launch aircraft, which is due to be retired in the near future after almost 50 years of service. The Hyper-X Program, managed by the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate in Washington, is conducted jointly by NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., and Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. A video clip, images and more information are available on the Internet at: http://www.nasa.gov/missions/research/x43-main.html NASA TV is available on the Web and via satellite in the continental U.S. on AMC-6, Transponder 9C, C-Band, at 72 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz. In Alaska and Hawaii, NASA TV is available on AMC-7, Transponder 18C, C-Band, at 137 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 4060.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz. NASA TV is webcast at: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html   Update... X-43A Flight Schedule/Media Advisory 11.12.04 The final flight of NASA?s X-43A hypersonic research aircraft is still on schedule for Monday afternoon, Nov. 15, weather permitting. The mission is intended to flight-validate the operation of the X-43A?s supersonic-combustion ramjet - or scramjet - engine at a record airspeed of almost Mach 10, or 10 times the speed of sound. The final X-43A mission is also expected to be the last research mission for NASA?s venerable B-52B "mothership" heavy launch aircraft, which is due to be retired in the near future after almost 50 years of service. The X-43A and its modified Pegasus booster rocket were mated to NASA?s B-52B launch aircraft on Thursday, Nov. 11. Pre-flight checks of the X-43A and the booster are occurring Friday and Saturday, with final closeouts and fueling slated for Sunday, Nov. 14th. Takeoff on Nov. 15 is tentatively scheduled for about 1 p.m. Pacific time, with launch about an hour later over the Pacific test range off the coast of Southern California. A post-flight news media briefing will be held about an hour after the mission concludes, or no earlier than 4 p.m. Pacific time (7 p.m. EST). The briefing will be carried live on NASA Television, and webcast at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html. Reporters unable to attend the session may submit questions to the panelists during the briefing via e-mail at x43nov@dfrc.nasa.gov or by phone at (661) 276-3449. Media representatives planning in-person coverage of the milestone mission and the post-flight news conference must contact NASA Dryden public affairs at 661-276-3449 no later than 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12 for accreditation. Media photographers and camera operators desiring to cover the takeoff of the B-52B carrying the X-43A and its booster must arrive at the west gate of Edwards Air Force Base on Rosamond Boulevard no later than 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 15. Reporters not planning to watch the takeoff should arrive at the Edwards west gate by noon. Flight schedule updates for news media will be available throughout the weekend by phoning 661/276-2564 or on the web at http://www.nasa.gov/missions/research/x43-main.html. News media needing additional information during the weekend may call Leslie Williams at (661) 810-4977, Alan Brown at (661) 810-4978 or Keith Henry at (757) 344-7211. NASA TV is available on the Web and via satellite in the continental U.S. on AMC-6, Transponder 9C, at 72 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz. In Alaska and Hawaii, NASA TV is available on AMC-7, Transponder 18C, at 137 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 4060.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz. Update... Nov. 15 X-43A Mach 10 Mission Scrubbed For Today NASA's third X-43A hypersonic research mission has been scrubbed for today due to technical glitches with X-43A instrumentation. When the issues were addressed, not enough time remained in the launch window. Another flight attempt will be made tomorrow. Tomorrow's launch window for the X-43A/Pegasus combination will be from 2-4 p.m., PST. The high-risk, unpiloted 12-foot-long scramjet-powered vehicle is to be dropped from the wing of the B-52B over the Pacific Ocean at an altitude of 40,000 feet, then boosted to the test altitude of nearly 110,000 feet by its modified Pegasus booster rocket. Following separation from the booster, the X-43A will fly briefly under its own power at nearly 10 times the speed of sound, or 7,000 mph. The flight is part of the Hyper-X program, a research effort designed to demonstrate air-breathing propulsion technologies for access to space and high-speed flight within the atmosphere. It will provide unique in-flight data on hypersonic air-breathing engine technologies that have large potential pay-offs. Flight schedule information will be updated periodically as new information becomes available X-43 Flight Success Pegasus booster rocket ignites to send the X-43A on its record setting flight on Nov. 16, 2004. NASA photo NASA's X-43A Scramjet Breaks Speed Record 11.16.04 RELEASE: 04-59 NASA's X-43A research vehicle screamed into the record books again Tuesday, demonstrating an air-breathing engine can fly at nearly 10 times the speed of sound. Preliminary data from the scramjet-powered research vehicle show its revolutionary engine worked successfully at nearly Mach 9.8, or 7,000 mph, as it flew at about 110,000 feet. The high-risk, high-payoff flight, originally scheduled for Nov. 15, took place in restricted airspace over the Pacific Ocean northwest of Los Angeles. The flight was the last and fastest of three unpiloted flight tests in NASA's Hyper-X Program. The program's purpose is to explore an alternative to rocket power for space access vehicles. "This flight is a key milestone and a major step toward the future possibilities for producing boosters for sending large and critical payloads into space in a reliable, safe, inexpensive manner," said NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe. "These developments will also help us advance the Vision for Space Exploration, while helping to advance commercial aviation technology," Administrator O'Keefe said. Supersonic combustion ramjets (scramjets) promise more airplane-like operations for increased affordability, flexibility and safety in ultra high-speed flights within the atmosphere and for the first stage to Earth orbit. The scramjet advantage is once it is accelerated to about Mach 4 by a conventional jet engine or booster rocket, it can fly at hypersonic speeds, possibly as fast as Mach 15, without carrying heavy oxygen tanks, as rockets must. The design of the engine, which has no moving parts, compresses the air passing through it, so combustion can occur. Another advantage is scramjets can be throttled back and flown more like an airplane, unlike rockets, which tend to produce full thrust all the time. "The work of the Langley-Dryden team and our Vehicle Systems Program has been exceptional," said NASA's Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research J. Victor Lebacqz. "This shows how much we can accomplish when we manage the risk and work together toward a common goal. NASA has made a tremendous contribution to the body of knowledge in aeronautics with the Hyper-X program, as well as making history." The flight was postponed by one day when repair of an instrumentation problem with the X-43A caused a delay. When the preflight checklist was resumed, not enough time remained to meet the FAA launch deadline of 7 p.m. EST. Today, the X-43A, attached to its modified Pegasus rocket booster, took off from Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., tucked under the wing of the B-52B launch aircraft. The booster and X-43A were released from the B-52B at 40,000 feet and the booster's engine ignited, taking the X-43A to its intended altitude and speed. The X-43A then separated from the booster and accelerated on scramjet power to a brief flight at nearly Mach 10. NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., and Dryden jointly conduct the Hyper-X Program. NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, Washington, manages it. ATK-GASL (formerly Microcraft, Inc.) at Tullahoma, Tenn., and Ronkonkoma, N.Y., built the X-43A aircraft and the scramjet engine, and Boeing Phantom Works, Huntington Beach, Calif., designed the thermal protection and onboard systems. The booster is a modified first stage of a Pegasus rocket built by Orbital Sciences Corp, Chandler, Ariz. NASA