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The NASA X-43 was an experimental unmanned hypersonic aircraft with multiple planned scale variations meant to test various aspects of hypersonic flight. It was part of the X-plane series and specifically of NASA 's Hyper-X program developed in the late 1990s. [ 1 ]
Low-cost aerial policing seaplane [41] X-29: Grumman: DARPA, USAF, NASA 1984 Forward-swept wing [42] X-30 NASP: Rockwell: NASA, DARPA, USAF 1993 Single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane [43] Canceled and never built. X-31: Rockwell-MBB DARPA, USAF, BdV: 1990 Thrust vectoring supermaneuverability [44] X-32A: Boeing USAF, USN, USMC, RAF: 2000 Joint ...
Thus with for example scramjet designs (e.g. X-43) the mass budgets do not seem to close for orbital launch. [ citation needed ] Similar issues occur with single-stage vehicles attempting to carry conventional jet engines to orbit—the weight of the jet engines is not compensated sufficiently by the reduction in propellant.
NASA planners stated that developing technologies for the X-44 could have application to the F-22 and Joint Strike Fighter programs and commercial supersonic ventures. [2] Initial feasibility work was funded by government and two contractors. [2] NASA approved the program to start in June 1999, giving the aircraft the designation "X-44A". [3]
The X-43A craft were designed to crash into the ocean without recovery. Duct geometry and performance of the X-43 are classified. The NASA Langley, Marshall, and Glenn Centers are now all heavily engaged in hypersonic propulsion studies. The Glenn Center is taking leadership on a Mach 4 turbine engine of interest to the USAF.
The Lockheed Martin X-33 was a proposed uncrewed, sub-scale technology demonstrator suborbital spaceplane that was developed for a period in the 1990s. The X-33 was a technology demonstrator for the VentureStar orbital spaceplane, which was planned to be a next-generation, commercially operated reusable launch vehicle.
The projected cost of the aircraft was astronomical: ... NASA X-43 – Unmanned US experimental hypersonic aircraft, 1991-2000; Related development. Convair Kingfish;
The NASA X-43A hypersonic test vehicles were boosted by Pegasus first stages. The upper stages were replaced by exposed models of a scramjet-powered vehicle. The Orion stages boosted the X-43 to its ignition speed and altitude, and were discarded. After firing the scramjet and gathering flight data, the test vehicles also fell into the Pacific.