"Hypersonic" Programs from HIFiRE, DARPA, AEDC are in Full Swing when the Shuttle Program is shutt

There are test programs going on down here at Woomera Test Range in outback South Australia, "Hypersonic" Programs like HIFiRE. The first test (7 May 2009) Trialling hypersonic flight at Woomera and the second test(Mar 23rd) off ten tests was successful Success for hypersonic outback flight at 5,000 kilometres per hour (Mach-4)- from Ground Launch.

Hypersonic Waveriders
Air Force to Test New Hypersonic Aircraft 09 March 2010

The maiden flight of the X-51 Waverider aircraft — the first U.S. hypersonic vehicle to fly in six years — is scheduled to take place later in March. Boeing Defense, Space & Security Systems of St. Louis has been developing the aircraft since 2003 on behalf of the Air Force Research Laboratory and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

U.S. Air Force Set To Begin X-51 Hypersonic Flight Tests 02/26/10
Launched from a B52- pre-test


Now there's a launch of a robotic spacecraft resembling a small space shuttle

Air Force to launch Boeing 'mystery' spacecraft
www.king5.com...

LOS ANGELES - After a decade of development, the Air Force this month plans to launch a robotic spacecraft resembling a small space shuttle to conduct technology tests in orbit and then glide home to a California runway.

The ultimate purpose of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle and details about the craft, which has been passed between several government agencies, however, remain a mystery as it is prepared for launch April 19 from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Others involvoed in this hugh program are DARPA..

DARPA Selects Four Contractors for Vulcan Hypersonic Engine Program
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has kicked off the Vulcan program with awards to four contractors. The four contractors participating in the eight-month first phase are: Alliant TechSystems, General Electric, Rolls Royce and United Technologies.
...The Vulcan program is a propulsion system demonstration effort to design, build and ground-test an engine capable of accelerating a full-scale hypersonic vehicle from rest to Mach 4+. The Vulcan engine is critical to enabling full-scale hypersonic cruise vehicles for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, strike or other critical national missions.

and Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) AEDC reaches major milestone with hypersonic engine testing
Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) (aus)
It's unbelievable really the amount of Brains involved here from all countrys:
New materials designed to deal with hypersonic and supersonic hot stuff

University of Queensland researchers are testing new materials to withstand the extreme heat experienced by hypersonic vehicles in flight so they can fly for substantially longer.

Boeing X-37 / X-40 pictures.

X-37A

X-40A


These "Hypersonic" engines look like being used widely for weapons and launching Rockets with Satellites, payloads to the Space Station maybe? all these tests are trying to crack Mach 5 mark and some are trying for Mach 8

This is the New Age of Space/Shuttle Travel.

How Hypersonic Planes Work



Zelong.

[edit on 7/4/10 by Zelong]

Nice Vid of the X-51.
Thats the craft that I'm most looking forward to, its behind schedule, but it shouldn't be to much longer before we see it go hypersonic.

I'm also interested in the Air Force space plane, its public knowledge that it exists, and when its going to launch (April 19th). But the Air Force has yet to comment on what will be in its cargo bay, and how long it will remain in space....intriguing to say the least.

reply to post by Murcielago

The Air Forces Space Plane(X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle) is going to be used for picking up payloads it seems.
Air Force Space Plane to Launch After Long, Twisted Past

"What it offers that we have seldom had is the ability to bring back payloads and experiments to examine how well the experiments performed on-orbit," said Gary Payton, the undersecretary of the Air Force for space programs. "That's one new thing for us."

Air Force X-37B Space-Plane.

The X-37B maybe what will be used to capture payloads and dock them at the Space Station and bring Astronauts back to Earth as it can stay up for 270 days in orbit.

Source:
Although the X-37B is outfitted to spend up to 270 days in orbit, the first mission's length will hinge on accomplishing all of its goals.

"We'll have certain de-orbit opportunities just like the shuttle does," Payton said. "We aren't married to any particular on-orbit duration right now."

This is speculation on my part
To get Astronauts up to the Space Station the X-37B seems like a nice fit for four Astronauts and also used to pick up orbiting payloads that have been sent in orbit with these "Hypersonic" Rockets with payloads.
"The fastest official flight by a manned rocket-propelled aircraft was in 1967, when test pilot Pete Knight reached 7,274 km's per hour(just under Mach-6) in the North American X-15.
The official air speed record for a manned airbreathing jet aircraft was set in 1976 when a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird spy plane reached 3,530 km's per hour" (Mach-3).

Since only one has posted here, Thanks Murcielago I'll post these pictures of the Woomera Test Range Launch pad I just found.
The first launch should be called 1b as the very first test went up and than down, boom, spectacular and scary.

Full size picture of Launch pad
Source

HIFiRE 2nd Launch, picture taken 22/03/2010 (22 March 10') day before launch, check out all the sensors on the main Rocket.

Full size picture of "Hypersonic" 2nd Test Rocket at Woomera


Zelong.

[edit on 11/4/10 by Zelong]

The launch of the X-37B Space-Plane on Atlas V 501, April 22 10'
Source:




Zelong.

weird coincidence

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Team Vandenberg successfully launched the first Minotaur IV Lite launch vehicle at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 22, 2010, from Space Launch Complex-8 here. The rocket launched the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2.

Falcon HTV Launch

or maybe they are using one mission to camouflage the other; so that when anybody notices something weird while they're testing the Falcon, they can just say, oh it's the X-37B (and vice versa).

reply to post by toreishi
Hi toreishi, "weird coincidence ", no these programs are in full swing now. The new age of space/shuttle flight has begun.
The hypersonic Falcon HTV-2 test vehicle is trying for Mach 20 and above. They are keeping this test under-raps Air Force launches hypersonic glider over Pacific

The 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg Air Force Base says a Minotaur 4 rocket carrying the glider blasted off Thursday afternoon from the central California coast. The Air Force statement does not reveal the result of the test involving the Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2.

A fact sheet from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) says the vehicle was to be accelerated into the upper atmosphere, separate from its booster and glide across the Pacific at 13,000 mph
DARPA Falcon HTV-2 Hypersonic Vehicle to Launch from Vandenberg on Tuesday - DARPA FACT SHEET

There are a lot of programs testing right now also awaiting the X-51 Hypersonic Waverider test.U.S. Air Force Set To Begin X-51 Hypersonic Flight Tests

The maiden flight of the X-51 Waverider aircraft — the first U.S. hypersonic vehicle to fly in six years — is scheduled to take place later in March.

U.S. Hypersonics Could Hinge On X-51 Tests

Hypersonic proponents worldwide will eagerly watch two long-awaited technology demonstrations starting with the imminent first flight attempt for the X-51 Waverider, to be followed within a month by the first flight of the Falcon HTV-2 hypersonic test vehicle.

Has the X-51 Waverider tests already been completed? No news or data, no nothing?


Zelong.

[edit on 24/4/10 by Zelong]

The first X-51A launch has been postponed several times. Hopefully it will launch in May. Booster thrust limitations dictate a requirement for a launch altitude of at least 50,000 feet in order to achieve desired conditions for scramjet ignition. The test team will be happy if at least two of the four vehicles have successful flights. So far, this has been a good year for hypersonics.

The HTV 2a payload launched Thursday separated from the Minotaur high in the upper atmosphere at a velocity more than 20 times the speed of sound. But tracking assets lost contact with the triangle-shaped craft 9 minutes after liftoff. "An engineering team is reviewing available data to understand this event," DARPA said in a written statement.

OOPS...
I wonder if they had one of those lost model stickers on it like RC planes sometimes do?

IF FOUND PLEASE RETURN TO DARPA....lol

[edit on 25-4-2010 by mack37]


[edit on 25-4-2010 by mack37]

reply to post by mack37


got a link?
thanks

reply to post by toreishi


DARPA's HTV-2 Didn't Phone Home

major disappointment.

I was really looking forward to some big hypersonic milestones this year...Now it looks like we have to wait another year for them to ready the second one.

Hope the X-51 goes good...

reply to post by toreishi


Sorry forgot to add the link

was trying to edit to put the link in but it didn't work...what's up with that.

reply to post by Murcielago


could this be a part of HTV2?

"It is definitely not a meteor and not a different natural substance –- somebody created it, and it did not appear from outer space," said Ittai Gavrieli, Director of the Geological Survey of Israel.

Link

Originally posted by toreishi
reply to post by Murcielago

 

could this be a part of HTV2?

"It is definitely not a meteor and not a different natural substance –- somebody created it, and it did not appear from outer space," said Ittai Gavrieli, Director of the Geological Survey of Israel.

Link

Well comparing the date's, ' Israeli Meteorite Misadventures'- Mon Apr 26, 'DARPA's HTV-2 Didn't Phone Home' 4/24/2010, anything is possible the HTV-2 was already confirmed launched and where is the X-51(scheduled for March launch) has it(she) been launched where's her Data or Debris? what goes up in this field may come down, this happens these are tests.

Viewing the video, my first thought was this would have to be a very Toxic Smoke being given off there by than it's blowing the way of the Life Savers look-out Hut no one is freaking out about the smoke(be great if a member could interpret the audio :up and there's only One piece one piece of what.

The burning object is man made and has a lot to burn for such a small supposed Rock these Waveriders are testing all sorts of stuff the main thing is velocity and heat,
'Temperatures on the surface of an object traveling at Mach-5 can reach 1000 degrees C (1800 deg F) at Mach-8 the temperatures can reach 2700 degress C at the leading edge and 3000 degrees C in the engine combustion chamber',
not to mention Mach-20's(extreme differences) heat so when these objects do crash and burn their debris could with stand theses 'velocity's and heat' on re-enter. It is odd there's only One piece of something on that beach but remember if something broke up so high up it would spread out over lat' and long' borders I'll guess the rest of such debris may of been at sea ? Dunno
New materials designed to deal with hypersonic and supersonic hot stuff

A nice looking left and right wave there, perfect for a Long Board

Zelong.

The X-51a Test Flight now scheduled for launch in the last week of May, my source here isn't DARPA (news room) or Air Force it's NewScience Tech so I don't know where they got their information so I've posted to find out.
Scramjet with stamina ready for hypersonic test May 6.

In the last week of May, thousands of square miles of airspace above the Pacific Ocean will be cleared to make way for a skinny, shark-nosed aircraft called the X-51.
The 4-metre-long prototype will drop from beneath the wing of a bomber and attempt to become the first scramjet to punch through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds for minutes, not seconds.

Also a retraction on my statement above. "The First Test at Woomera is Test 1 not 1b as I stated", The footage I viewed was from a Different test.

The first launch should be called 1b as the very first test went up and than down, boom, spectacular and scary.

Zelong.

[edit on 8/5/10 by Zelong]

' X-51A Waverider Test Flight ' schedule updated to- May 25th, although still called 'planned'


X-51A Waverider flight planned for May 25

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio: Weather permitting, Air Force officials said the X-51A Waverider will make its first hypersonic flight test attempt May 25 after it is released from a B-52 Stratofortress off the southern coast of California.
The unmanned X-51A is expected to fly autonomously for five minutes, powered by a supersonic combustion scramjet engine, accelerating to about Mach 6 and transmitting vast amounts of data to ground stations before breaking up after splashing down into the Pacific, as planned. There are no plans to recover the flight test vehicle, one of four built.

"In those 300 seconds, we hope to learn more about hypersonic flight with a practical scramjet engine than all previous flight tests combined," said Charlie Brink, X-51A program manager with the Air Force Research Laboratory's Propulsion Directorate here.

reply to post by toreishi
Thanks for this link(Israeli Meteorite Misadventures) again toreishi I'm now keeping an-eye out for Hot Stuff falling to terra firma.

The Question remains as to what and where this 'Hot Stuff' fell from. Interesting footage when one is following these Test's
I feel this article and video suits this thread.






Zelong.

[edit on 21/5/10 by Zelong]

Finally the X-51A's 1st off 4 tests is completed.

Boeing X-51A WaveRider Breaks Record in 1st Flight

The unmanned aerial vehicle was released from a U.S. Air Force B-52H bomber off the southern California coast around 10 a.m. today. It flew autonomously for more than 200 seconds, powered by its Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) motor, as it transmitted telemetry data to ground stations. Something then occurred that caused the vehicle to lose acceleration. At that point, the X-51A was terminated as planned.

"The technology proven today is something The Boeing Company has worked on for the past seven years," said Alex Lopez, vice president of Advanced Network & Space Systems, a division of Boeing Phantom Works. "It is thrilling to be a part of history and advance hypersonic science to the next level. Boeing is looking forward to transitioning the technology to operation in the near term, but for now, we are exhilarated."

Even before analyzing the terabytes of telemetry data transmitted by the X-51A during flight, Air Force officials called the test an unqualified success.

Pre-Flight Checks

Test Flight Taxi And Takeoff

Test footage of the X-51A Waverider, Test 1 off 4



Zelong.

[edit on 29/5/10 by Zelong]