Jacques van Oene
November 3rd 04, 10:51 PM
NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Dryden Flight Research Center
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California 93523
Phone 661-276-3449
FAX 661-276-3566 _
Nov. 3, 2004
Leslie Williams
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
(661) 276-3893
Keith Henry
NASA Langley Research Center
(757) 344-7211
RELEASE 04-53
X-43A STATUS UPDATE
MACH 10 FREE FLIGHT OF HYPERSONIC X-43A DELAYED TO NOV. 15
Due to weather concerns and scheduling conflicts for use of the U.S.
Navy's test range off the Southern California coast, the third and
final flight of the X-43A hypersonic research aircraft from NASA's
Dryden Flight Research Center has been rescheduled for no earlier
than Monday, Nov. 15. If test range availability or weather
conditions preclude conducting the mission on that date, Tuesday,
Nov. 16 is being retained as a backup date for the flight.
The mission is intended to flight-validate the operation of the
X-43A's supersonic-combustion ramjet - or "scramjet" - engine at an
airspeed of almost Mach 10, 10 times the speed of sound, or about
6,800 mph. Technicians are preparing the research vehicle and its
rocket booster for mating to the B-52B launch aircraft, and project
engineers are completing control room training for the mission,
simulating both a nominal mission and a variety of potential
contingencies that could arise during the flight.
The final X-43A mission is also expected to be the last research
mission for NASA's venerable B-52B "mothership" heavy launch
aircraft, which is due to be retired in the near future after almost
50 years of service.
As a result of the flight delay, a pre-flight news media briefing at
NASA Dryden for the final X-43A research flight will be rescheduled
for the week of Nov. 8 - 12, with the exact date yet to be determined.
For further information about the X-43A and NASA's Hyper-X hypersonic
research program on the Internet, log on to:
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/research/x43-main.html
- NASA -
--
---------------------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Dryden Flight Research Center
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California 93523
Phone 661-276-3449
FAX 661-276-3566 _
Nov. 3, 2004
Leslie Williams
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
(661) 276-3893
Keith Henry
NASA Langley Research Center
(757) 344-7211
RELEASE 04-53
X-43A STATUS UPDATE
MACH 10 FREE FLIGHT OF HYPERSONIC X-43A DELAYED TO NOV. 15
Due to weather concerns and scheduling conflicts for use of the U.S.
Navy's test range off the Southern California coast, the third and
final flight of the X-43A hypersonic research aircraft from NASA's
Dryden Flight Research Center has been rescheduled for no earlier
than Monday, Nov. 15. If test range availability or weather
conditions preclude conducting the mission on that date, Tuesday,
Nov. 16 is being retained as a backup date for the flight.
The mission is intended to flight-validate the operation of the
X-43A's supersonic-combustion ramjet - or "scramjet" - engine at an
airspeed of almost Mach 10, 10 times the speed of sound, or about
6,800 mph. Technicians are preparing the research vehicle and its
rocket booster for mating to the B-52B launch aircraft, and project
engineers are completing control room training for the mission,
simulating both a nominal mission and a variety of potential
contingencies that could arise during the flight.
The final X-43A mission is also expected to be the last research
mission for NASA's venerable B-52B "mothership" heavy launch
aircraft, which is due to be retired in the near future after almost
50 years of service.
As a result of the flight delay, a pre-flight news media briefing at
NASA Dryden for the final X-43A research flight will be rescheduled
for the week of Nov. 8 - 12, with the exact date yet to be determined.
For further information about the X-43A and NASA's Hyper-X hypersonic
research program on the Internet, log on to:
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/research/x43-main.html
- NASA -
--
---------------------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info