Records Broken: Mach 9.6 X-43A ‘Hypersonic Scramjet’ Has A Message For the U.S. Air Force

Records Broken: Mach 9.6 X-43A ‘Hypersonic Scramjet’ Has A Message For the U.S. Air Force

NASA’s X-43A was an unmanned, experimental hypersonic vehicle that utilized scramjet propulsion to achieve record-breaking speeds. Although it flew only three times, its final mission in 2004 reached Mach 9.6, smashing the previous air-breathing record held by the SR-71 Blackbird. The program provided critical data on managing extreme heat and engine performance that simulations could not replicate. Today, this technology informs the development…