Hypersonic Test Flight Yields Research DataAugust 19, 2011
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, best known as DARPA, has its sights set on building an aircraft that can fly 13,000 miles per hour, survive through temperatures greater than 3500 degrees, and precisely hit a target on the other side of the earth in less than one hour. The Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 was shot from aboard a rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in mid August to test out its speed, trajectory and capabilities. The hypersonic aircraft flew for about 9 minutes after separating from the rocket and then crashed into the Pacific Ocean, according to an article in the New York Times. In a press release, DARPA said that the launch, separation and initial trajectory that the aircraft achieved could be viewed as a success even though it flew for such a short time. “We know how to boost the aircraft into space," Maj. Chris Schulz, the program manager, told the Times. “We know how to insert the aircraft into atmospheric hypersonic flight.” But there are still many lessons to be learned, he added. “We do not yet know how to achieve the desired control during the aerodynamic phase of flight,” he said. “It's vexing; I'm confident there is a solution. We have to find it.” The Pentagon is eager to add an option to its arsenal that would allow it to strike high-value targets in less than an hour on the other side of the world without resorting to nuclear weapons. These targets could include hitting a North Korean missile being transported to a launch pad or destroying a rogue nuclear site, military planners told the Times. The hypersonic aircraft could also be deployed to kill a terrorist if no other military option can reach the remote location in time. |
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