picture from NASA
The Australian Outback. Dry and desolate. This was the place where US and Australian scientists decided to test their latest offering in an attempt to drastically improve air travel.
It was the first time in history a Scramjet was ignited inside the atmosphere of our earth. The engine is incredibly light, it doesn’t need any form of fuel as it uses oxygen to power itself.
The rocket started it’s flight from Woomera range in South Australia, and reached the altitude of 530 kilometres, or 330 miles. That’s a long way down!
“This technology has the potential to put numerous defence and civilian aerospace applications within our reach during the next couple of decades,” DSTO scientist Warren Harch said.
This expected boost in technology could cut down flights from Sydney to London to around 2 hours. All you have to worry about now is the jet lag at the other end.
[Read the full story: Scientists launch scramjet in Australian Outback | http://www.smh.com.au]
