Alliant Techsystems has received a five-year, $15 million contract from NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. Under terms of the contract, ATK will conduct hypersonic aero-propulsion research, test, and evaluation in specially designed wind-tunnels that replicate the atmospheric conditions aircraft experience if traveling at speeds up to Mach 20.
In flight tests last year, ATK and NASA twice set the world speed record for air-breathing powered flight with the X-43A Scramjet-powered aircraft.
The X-43A demonstrated its unique capability after separating from a rocket booster and, under scramjet power, achieving positive acceleration at the hypersonic speed of nearly Mach 7 – approximately 5,000 miles per hour. In a second flight test, the X-43A achieved cruise conditions at nearly Mach 10 – approximately 7,000 miles per hour.
As a recognized leader in hypersonic flight, ATK is developing next- generation Scramjet vehicles capable of accelerating through a wider Mach range. The tests and data collected from this research contract will be essential to developing hardware and software used in additional hypervelocity flight operations.
