Scramjets breathe new life into hypersonics

Airbreathing supersonic-combustion ramjets or scramjets could prove to be viable alternatives to rockets in hypersonic space flights. NASA has designed the Hyper-X program to validate the strong potentials of scramjet technology in enhancing space missions' effectiveness, which could serve as basis for future vehicle developments. The program includes four autonomous research flights to test scramjets' performance in high-speed travel. The first airbreathing engine-powered hypersonic flight will take place in 1999, with the remaining three test flights scheduled at one year intervals.