This rare footage shows NASA testing the X-43A, an experimental hypersonic aircraft built to explore extreme-speed flight. Because scramjet engines cannot start from rest, the vehicle was carried under a B-52, boosted to hypersonic speed by a rocket, and only then ignited its own engine. | SpaceEve

309K views · 8.1K reactions | NASA took a major step toward...

The X-15 experimental aircraft achieved its first hypersonic flight on June 23, 1961, soaring at speeds over five times the speed of sound. Later, the X-43A reached about 7,000 mph using innovative engines that harnessed atmospheric oxygen. For nearly eight decades, NASA Armstrong has been at the forefront of high-speed research, achieving these and many other milestones. Today, our engineers are developing technologies to make space access safer and more affordable, and to bring routine commerc

61K views · 417 shares | Boeing and Defence Science Technology group in Australia are making hypersonics happen with a recent flight test of an experimental hypersonic vehicle. The flight test was a success and brings us a step closer to hypersonic aircraft. | The Boeing Company | Facebook