NASA strives to keep scramjet projects alive

摘要

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wants to continue its research in air-breathing hyperson-ics at reduced funding levels until it can support more ambitious projects later in the decade that rival the Hyper-X flight programme it just concluded, according to administration officials. NASA successfully flew an X-43A experimental unmanned aircraft on 16 November, achieving a record speed of about M9.8, or about 7,000 mph (11,300 km/h), during 10 seconds of powered flight over the Pacific Ocean.