U.S. Air Force Studies Rocket-based Hypersonic Flying Testbed Plan

rocket-based combined-cycle concept
The U.S. Air Force is studying options for a hypersonic demonstrator, including potentially a return to rocket-based combined-cycle concepts similar to the X-43B project that was canceled in the 2000s.
Credit: NASA
To fully exploit the military utility of hypersonic speed in roles beyond high-speed weapons, the U.S. Air Force is stepping up its decades-long quest to develop a combined-cycle air-breathing propulsion system as an enabler for reusable vehicles. The plan promises to unlock the wider tactical...

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