MINNEAPOLIS --- NASA and an industry team led by ATK (Alliant Techsystems) achieved a world speed record for air-breathing powered flight during a test of the X-43A Supersonic Combustion Ramjet (Scramjet) engine-powered research vehicle on March 27.
According to Don Shaffer, group vice president, ATK Advanced Propulsion and Space Systems, the successful flight test of the X-43A demonstrates the potential of ramjet/scramjet propulsion for critical Department of Defense and NASA requirements.
“The flight test was also the first since ATK acquired GASL last November and demonstrates how the company’s propulsion capabilities now span the spectrum from solid rocket motors to next-generation scramjets,” said Shaffer.
Vincent Rausch, NASA Hyper-X program manager, said, “In the nearer-term, rapid response for time-critical targets and precision stand-off capabilities will be significantly enhanced by the deployment of air-breathing scramjet engines. Future applications for hypersonic flight include low-cost space launch vehicles that offer reliable space transport.”
The X-43A was carried aloft under the wing of a NASA B-52 and launched on the Western Test Range over the Pacific Ocean with the assistance of a Pegasus derivative Hyper-X booster. After climbing to an altitude of approximately 95,000 feet and reaching a speed of Mach 7, the X-43A separated from the launch vehicle and flew under its own power, breaking the speed record for an air-breathing aircraft.
The X-43A scramjet engine and fuel systems were manufactured by ATK GASL, Ronkonkoma, N.Y. Vehicle integration, instrumentation development and systems testing were performed at the ATK GASL facility in Tullahoma, Tenn. Both Boeing PhantomWorks and NASA played major roles in the design of the X-43A. ATK’s Orion solid propulsion motor provided power for the modified Pegasus booster. ATK Thiokol in Magna, Utah manufactures the motor, which has flown on all Pegasus rockets.
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ATK, NASA Set World Speed Record For Hypersonic Flight
