NASA took a major step toward redefining high-speed flight on Nov. 16, 2004. The X-43A, a small, experimental aircraft, proved that an engine drawing oxygen from the atmosphere could propel an aircraft to hypersonic speeds – greater than Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. During the flight over the Pacific Ocean west of California, the X-43A set the world speed record for a jet-powered aircraft, reaching Mach 9.6, or nearly 7,000 mph. The mission originated from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Re

X-43A Record Speed Flight Commemorated

85K views · 1.2K reactions | NASA's supersonic X-59 jet took its first test flight this week in California, with an agency official calling the plane "the future of supersonic travel." The aircraft's unique shape allows it to travel more quietly than the disruptive Concorde flights that led to a ban of supersonic travel over the U.S. https://abcnews.visitlink.me/FbqIEt | ABC News | Facebook