Aircraft sets hypersonic record at Mach 6

Actually, Mach 6 is between 4,000 and 5,000 mph (6,400 to 8,000 km/h). Speed of sound @ Sea Level: 761 mph / 1225 km/h Speed of sound @ 11,000 - 20,000 meters altitude (airliner cruising altitude) 660 mph / 1062 km/h *source Also, according to this press release from Boeing, the X-51 achieved Mach 5: Cz

when an object is moving that fast,i don't need to tell you that kinetic heat is enormous how is nasa going to try to overcome this problem, titatanium and kevlar composites probbaly will not work beyond mach 7 or 8

It's still a combustible engine.... Nothing special at all here.

was there a pilot or was this a unmanned test?

was there a pilot or was this a unmanned test? This has to be unmanned, people just can't ride on it just yet.

Now thats amazing, fly across the Pacific Ocean in an hour.

was there a pilot or was this a unmanned test? Most Likely unmanned, we still yet to discover the counter for G-forces. EDIT: From what I have researched though, X-15 was piloted. (not the X-15A that was mentioned in the article.)

Most Likely unmanned, we still yet to discover the counter for G-forces. EDIT: From what I have researched though, X-15 was piloted. (not the X-15A that was mentioned in the article.) The X-15 (pictured below) was a rocket-powered test vehicle that flew in the 1960's. In October 1967, Pete Knight flew it up to 4,519 mph (7,273 km/h). Several pilots actually qualified as astronauts piloting the X-15 as it was able to reach altitudes of over 50 miles. In August 1963, Joe Walker flew the X-15 to an altitude of 67 miles (107.8 km). That flight held the world altitude record for over40 years until ... [More]

The X-15 (pictured below) was a rocket-powered test vehicle that flew in the 1960's. In October 1967, Pete Knight flew it up to 4,519 mph (7,273 km/h). Several pilots actually qualified as astronauts piloting the X-15 as it was able to reach altitudes of over 50 miles. In August 1963, Joe Walker flew the X-15 to an altitude of 67 miles (107.8 km). That flight held the world altitude record for over40 years until Scaled Composite's "Spaceship One" flew to 69.6 miles (112 km) on October 4, 2004. The X-51A (pictured below) is an unmanned scramjet demonstration vehicle and as cen be seen in the im... [More]

o.o Wow.