U.S. Military ‘scramjet’ breaks hypersonic speed record

The Boeing X-51A, an experimental 'scramjet' missile for the U.S. Military, broke hypersonic speed records this week as it flew at Mach 5.1 for three and a half minutes.

The X-51A is nicknamed 'The Waverider', due to riding the shockwave of compressed air that it creates as it flies. Its scamjet engine is similar to a jet engine, but it can work at much high altitudes and much faster speeds. Jet engines are limited by altitude and speed because the air gets too thin and it's moving too quickly to properly ignite it. However, the scramjet is able to both slow the air down and compress it, so that it can concentrate and ignite the oxygen in the air, but then still force the air out the back of the engine at hypersonic speeds.

[ More Geekquinox: May the Fourth be with you! ]

The X-51A test took place on May 1st, when the Waverider took just over six minutes to fly 230 nautical miles (425 kilometres), reaching speeds of over five times the speed of sound.

Although this test was conducted by the military, it apparently wasn't to test for a new weapon, but as a general test of the technology for future applications.

"This demonstration of a practical hypersonic scramjet engine is a historic achievement that has been years in the making," said Darryl Davis, president of Boeing Phantom Works, according to Reuters. "This test proves the technology has matured to the point that it opens the door to practical applications, such as advanced defense systems and more cost-effective access to space."

The staff at Boeing are looking into its potential for commercial air travel, calling it the 'warp speed of today'.

[ More Geekquinox: NASA SDO sees incredible twister explode from the Sun ]

In the first test of the Waverider, back in May 2010, saw the vehicle reaching a speed of Mach 5.0 for 143 seconds. The two tests after that were less successful, with the test last August ended in failure, apparently due to a fault in one of its control fins. However, this week's test was seen as a complete success.

"It was a full mission success," said Charlie Brink, the U.S. Air Force's X-51A Program Manager. "All we have learned from the X-51A Waverider will serve as the bedrock for future hypersonics research and ultimately the practical application of hypersonic flight."

Geek out with the latest in science and weather.
Follow @ygeekquinox on Twitter!