Air Force's hypersonic test fails
By Mike Mount
A hypersonic aircraft launched by the Air Force Tuesday spiraled out of control and was destroyed before it could reach its goal of speeding to 4,600 mph, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.
The third test of the X-51A Waverider was launched Tuesday off the California coast from a B-52 modified bomber aircraft and was to fly for 300 seconds, reaching hypersonic speeds of Mach 6, but only flew for 16 seconds, according to the Air Force.
Officials said a problem with a tail fin caused the missile-like vehicle to fly out of control before the main engine could be ignited, leading researchers to destroy it early.
"A fault was identified with one of the cruiser control fins. Once the X-51 separated from the rocket booster, approximately 15 seconds later, the cruiser was not able to maintain control due to the faulty control fin and was lost," said a statement issued by the Air Force.
It's unclear what, if any, information was gleaned from the test. According to the statement, "Program officials will now begin the process of working through a rigorous evaluation to determine the exact cause of all factors at play."
The Air Force plans to go public with details of the failed test in a few weeks, after researchers are able to analyze the data from the flight.
The world's record-breaking airports
"It is unfortunate that a problem with this subsystem caused a termination before we could light the Scramjet engine," said Charlie Brink, X-51A Program Manager for Air Force Research Laboratory. "All our data showed we had created the right conditions for engine ignition and we were very hopeful to meet our test objectives."
The Air Force had four X-51A Waveriders and has tested three. Officials said they do not yet know when or if the fourth Waverider will be tested.
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IF you what to make an omolet, first you steal someones eggs.
What does China have to do with this?
Chuck Norris would have caught before it crashed and thrown it 8 times the speed of sound.
300,000,000 people in the US (give or take) / $150,000,000 for the program ... $2.00 each, less than a Latte.
.......No......it's 50 cents per person. But...I get your point. We shouldn't be complaining over attempts at innovation.
... nice, yeah, .50 ... call it a rounding error! How about it being less than you need to buy ANYTHING at a dollar store.
314,159,265 people at last count. 100 million American Pi's, according to the news
.48 ... cheaper than a song on iTunes ...
only dolts dont understand trial and error...
...trying to explain it to them gets u no where
Love all the people crying about the price... Guess we should of stopped developing new technologies with the train...
When your house is been foreclosed on you don't buy a porshe. If the US government can afford to keep it's people healthy, spending money on NEW WEAPON SYSTEMS is appropriate.
You are so right! How much did this cost us?? How dare they try to advance the human race! They should be spending it on erectile deficiency research!! If you would like to use horses to pull your goods around or smoke signals to talk to your friends, by all means, stunt progress. Wow, to compare buying a Porsche to human ingenuity at it's finest??? wow
this rocket wasn't the equivalent to a Porsche for the US Govt, it was the equivalent to a dodge dart.
Aren't you the SAME John accusing Pres. Obama of WASTE and running up the deficit?
Why are we wasting money on this again? Why is anyone defending this program? This is just welfare to boys with toys at Boeing. Get careers that actually help Americans instead of merely obliterate non-Americans.
I would say thats more on their own personal agenda, but most technology from the military gets implemented and upgrades civilian technology at a point. If those boy's didn't play with their toys.. we wouldn't be in space, commercial aviation would be much farther back, stealth, advanced aero dynamic research, radar, laser technology used in everything.. Most of this technology is military derived. So sure, tell them to stop playing so you can play with sticks and rocks tomorrow
You left out GPS and Cell phones.
..and the Internet
Please do a little research on the early development of the Jet engine, Steam engine and internal combustion engine and their ramifications. Thanks.
what you dont seem to understand is that this sort of technology will be needed to allow for interstellar travel to be feasible. But of course your non-scientific-work-at-Burger King-didn't go to college because it would be too hard and why would I ever need math- brain couldn't possibly understand the applications of such awesome technology. The lightbulb? Edison took hundred of failed attempts to get it right. The airplane? Thousands of failed attempts over centuries. This is nothing and you are complaining about 50 cents so you can afford what, 2 gumballs?
This is the next step for UAV's so we won't need to keep bases in places like the afghan. Get on the Kill List and 10 min latter you're toasted worm food.
The acceleration produced by this engine would turn a human into a puddle of goo, this is why space shuttles and rockes have stages. This thing's being built to go from 0 to W T F in under a 60s, this isn't even a delivery system it IS the weapon. A warhead may not even be nessiary at the speed this thing goes.
I cannot believe so many people complaining about losing money over failure.
It is called research and development. You are bound to fail before succeeding.
If you don't want failure, I guess you can sit home and do nothing.
Personally I have nothing against R&D. However I think expensive R&D that has its primary goal to develop a nuclear payload delivery system is rather foolishly spent money.
Keep moving forward!
@ people who are complaining about the cost of the program. Advancement takes a LOT of money, man power, sacrifice and resources. You want amazing technology, you have to spend amazing amounts of money, the US has a ridiculous defence budget, but its also what has ensured the countries safety for the last 100 years. If the US wants to be a leader in anything, they have to fork out the dough. And if you think its better spent elsewhere (or local) then yeah sure, you may mitigate some of the current issues by spending less on advancement, but you cannot fix new problems with old solutions.
Ooops.
The US spent $600 BILLION last year in US taxpayer money on defense. And our teachers are these exhausted hags who are spending their own money in the classroom. Shut this freaking military down before it kills us all!
I'm not sure how that relates to my comment, but ok.
It doesn’t, it’s a poor attempt to make a point over a personal agenda… and a short sighted one at that.
I BLAME THE GANGSTAS
Hmm... i remember going through our public school system and learning just fine. Then i remember going to a public university and getting a bachelors and masters degree in aerospace engineering because I was inspired by cool stuff like this. Then I remember using my degrees to get a job where I make commercial flight even more fuel efficient.
What We Gathered is that people don't have Patience, we all want to get where ever we want and NOW! Stop being lazy, sit back and relax, There is no reason we need to be flying MACH 6
Yes there is. Besides defense applications, we want to travel to space. Those distances are HUGE and require the fastest craft possible.
Scramjets burn oxygen... There's no oxygen in space. This is a weapon, be happy we're developing it. China will want us to pay our bill one day...
Um .. I want to get where I need by be as quick as possible. If I wanted to sit back and relax, i'll catch a cab or drive....thankyou.
You really think a mach 6 test is being made to transport people instead of a warhead?
yep!
It's not for people. It's for missiles. They need to be fast to (a) catch up with fast aircraft, (b) avoid being shot down by other missiles (or laser weapons, or particle beam weapons), (c) get in and "get 'er done" before the enemy even knows what hit them.
Maybe, someday, in my kids' lifetime, it can be used for military aircraft. But for civilian passenger jets? No way José.
Bummer... well, this is why we test. Better luck next time!
think of how many starving poor people could have been fed with the wasted millions put into this nonsense. what a f'ed up world we live in.
We'll put them to work in a labor camp building then next one.
Maybe it's time you found an alternative to this f'ed-up world, hmm? Can't hack it? Get yourself a gun, man!
i have several, let me know where to find your coward a$$ and I'll give you a close up view of one.
wow the ignorance, this type of research allows you to voice your uninformed and uneducated opinion,,
We actually spend BILLIONS on feeding the ‘starving’ poor in both our country and around the world.
And because people chose to be poor those of us who don't should feed them? I don't think so.
ahh yes Republicans a perfect example of our defense budget at work
Republicans? I didn't know the Air Force was a part of the Republican party.
HAHAHA what a clown. Mock a test for a program that could potentially provide some tangible results for humanity or pump money into health care for a fatty with self inflicted diabetes? Not difficult for me to decide where I want MY tax dollars to go, even it is the AF.
While I agree with your point, Republicans are more likely to be obese and Democrats.
For the record I’m nether.
"Can we have another $30 billion to make another please?"
Great! Yet another BIG waste of taxpayers' money. But, who cares, right?
Well that sucks. It would have been awesome if it worked. They should try it again with the fourth and make adjustments to it.
Well.....thats embarrassing.
No man named MITT will EVER lead this country.
No man name Barack Hussein Obama will lead this country ..........................OH WAITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
lol.. true and look how thats turned out.
If Mark Wahlberg was there, it wouldn't of gone down like that.
If Chuck Norris was piloting it, it wouldn't have gone down at all. 🙂
IF they are able to destroy it early Why can't they do the same with Drones like the one that landed in IRAN ?
because you are an idiot.
All the drones do carry self-destruct capability, but if the Iranians jammed/compromised the control link to the drone, the pilot wouldn't be able to send the self-destruct command to the drone.
There is always failure then there is success. Edison once said I found 99 things that did not work. I am paraphrasing that of course. " I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
Thomas A. Edison, (attributed)"
Exactly. And that is why Conservatives and GOP'ers are relatively short sighted...and uneducated.
All that money for a flop that could've gone to actually help feed people or provide healthcare. Why can't we make sure that the people in our country are safe, healthy, and fed before spending billions of dollars on a mach 6 plane or a car on Mars. Science is very important, but at this time, I think people need to be cared for first.
Crys,
Of course all valid concerns but... there is always going to be people in need. The money this cost likely could not take care of everything you mentioned for more than a month. This aircraft IS to help protect us.
that is very short sighted thinking Crys. Granted the money can easily be redirected at the cost of a reduction in science and innovation, but with China, India and others breathing down your neck this really isn't the time to waffle. At the end of the day it is science and technology that puts food on your table and keeps you healthy and protected.
Yes it could have fed people or provided healthcare. But it wouln't have. The Republicans would have grabbed the money for more tax cuts for the rich instead. Let's keep exploring. That creates jobs and money for everyone.
If you look at the big picture technology like this could very well save lives in the future.
You understand how much of the technology used to feed, house, clothe, and care for people comes from scientific research, space exploration, and military research, right?
Yeah, all the money they spent on this test went to scientists and engineers who took it and burn it. Wait, no they didn't. They FED THEIR FAMILIES AND BOUGHT THEM HEALTHCARE!
See, morons like you somehow find more intrinsic value in feeding and supporting useless ignorant leeches who don't contribute a BIT to society than feeding and supporting SMART HARDWORKING AMERICAN CITIZENS.
If you care to explain why, I'd love to hear your rationale.
I dont even want to know how much this costed us.
Apparently more than we are spending on education... Cost*
Old enough to remember the attempts to break the sound barrier and all the failed rocket launches before we got it right. Keep on trying, this will succeed and science will keep the United States great.
OUR GOVERNMENT IS WASTEFULL AND STUPID
Failures happen when testing new technology. We had plenty of failures when trying to get into space, it happens. Only someone who is totally disillusioned believes that nothing will ever go wrong.
Every comment on here has been beyond stupid. Kill your selves please and do the world a favor
Well if we kick 100 grandmas off healthcare we can give it another go.
Idiots are out in force today! With a complete lack of vision like theirs, we would still think the earth is flat.
Keep moving forward guys. We learn more from failure than success sometimes!
Uh, Supersonic submarine...duh
kinglywarrior,
This would be a step in that direction.
As a second thought, going supersonic in the air may be easier than water so an SS sub may not be feasable.
for those of you saying that this was a waste of spending... (condescending wonka): "Tell me how much better off you would be without cell phones, GPS, the internet, and many of the other things you use in your life that started out as military projects.
My life would be GREAT without any of those things!
We could just have invested directly in GPS, cell phones etc. That would have been cheaper.
So there's millions gone to waste. Funny how you never hear Republicans complaining about this kind of government spending, only the kind that actually helps people out.
Where exactly do you hear that? EXACTLY because you're full of it...
Democrats think giving money to people to do NOTHING is "helping them out" and think giving money to people to build possibly superfluous items of complex technology is "waste". So, getting nothing is better than getting something. I see.
Wow, with idiots like you in charge of government, no wonder we're in the toilet.
Somebody saved the receipt, right?
Sure, is right there on the BOL attached to the device.... We only need to pay for shipping and handling back.
That is by far the funniest comment so far !!!!!... I hope they bought it at Wal-Mart. You can return anything !!! Maybe we should get China to build the next one
OK I have to laugh at the Obama comments on this one, the Republicans are complaining not enough money is being spent on crap like this! And you might want to take a look at how much of our debt is WAR DEBT primarily from the Bush administration.
Exactly who is complaining because you're full of it!
It sounds like we need an advance in material science.
And maybe stop getting all our parts from China.
I think I'm just going to go burn another $100 bill...
Better than the alternative.
anybody else want to put their money on smokescreen?
this failure was on purpose
I cosign that. There were probably 50 already made A YEAR AGO, and waiting to for the green light to take off and complete whatever it was assigned to do. So we already paid for it, and it probably cost everyone 5 bucks each. A pack of Cigs.
You can't trust what the public media tells you, you can't assume that there isn't already a Stealth Bomber Drone flying around through the night with it sitting under its belly.
With the USA, "you never know"...and that's what you have to love about this country.
You know SOME of you on here are complaining about wasting money on this, that, and welfare instead of looking at the bigger picture.
Welfare costs us each around $400 a year, whereas we have no complaints throwing that in a gas tank in about 3 months. We have no complaints throwing $400 in a single cellphone bill in 2 months, or a sport packaged cable bill in 2 months.
There's about 300,000,000 people in USA right now, 8% of them are unemployed; 24 million. So if our little $200,000,000 rocket science project here cost the rest of us some HARD EARNED money, well we only be spending around $.72 cents each person. You can't even buy a COKE-COLA with that HARD EARNED $.72 cents.
You can't even get a gallon of gas with that HARD EARNED $.72 cents.
You can't even walk out of a store with a loaf of bread for that HARD EARNED $.72 cents.
So take your HARD EARNED $.72 cents, and go throw it in wishing well and STOP Complaining, because we're making Progress.
Thanks, and GOD BLESS AMERICA.
oooops....
I'm happy to see my tax dollars finally going to something I'm on board with. The hell with welfair, paying for illegals to stay in the country, and vactions for the first family. While it was a failed attempt atleast there is a possibility of new technolgy being learned, rather than money being tossed at worthless people that are two freaking lazy to accomplish anything.
I'm happy that this may someday be aimed at the cities of our enemies.
"We have impact!"
"Is the target destroyed?"
"Well...um...'A' target was destroyed..."
Many of those lazy people, know the difference between "two" and "too."
Haha! They may aso know that it's welfare not welfair.
Ah yes, you got me, and thanks for pointing out that finding a typo is more important than having a rational thought of your own. Well done.
Does it occur to you that the folks you're bashing for being lazy & worthless happen to be your fellow countrymen? I'd say it's time you took your precious tax dollars and emigrated. Good luck, Scrooge!
Many of them are not my fellow countymen as they are not legal citizens. Look I have no problem with those that fall on hard times and USE the system to get back on thier feet. It's those that realize it's much easy to get a handout than actually work that I have the issue with. This country was founded on the sweat of our fathers brow, not the sweat of someone elses.
Please speak English.
I am all for this test and advancing science. However, you may want to work on using current technologies like spell check! I rarely post comments like this but I am tired of reading rants about one side or the other regarding our politicians by uneducated idiots. I guess I am the idiot for wasting my time reading them.
So you're more worried about who does and doesn't use spell check rather than what they have to say. Awesome, love this country, but some of the people here are just plain annoying.
You wanna make an omelet, you gotta crack some eggs right? This is just part of the cost of pushing the boundaries of science. I'm all for it.
Yea...but you SHOULD be able to get an omelette eventually....yes? And I don't expect a restaurant that spends millions in preparing my omelette to burn it when they get it to the stove top. 😉
If you give up after 3 tries you're destined for failure.
Money well spent.
This time, the fault lies with the Wright Brothers. If they'd stuck to fixing bikes, we wouldn't be in this mess.
No...The Air Force would be building 6000 MPH bicycles!
You mean the Ground Force?
Another Obama failure? Is society that flipping stupid? Most of these comments on CNN are extremely uneducated, terrible lies.
Should we stop spending money on innovation? Maybe we should just go back to driving Model-T's and hoping we don't die every time we get a flu.
Hell, while your at it, lets get rid of our houses we live in and go back to living in caves.
"Most of these comments on CNN are extremely uneducated, terrible lies." I agree but I would expand that to include the CNN writers and their partison articles as well.
Just tax the "rich". Forward.
I just took the largest crap.
How many Courics?
Did North Korea build it for us?
In order to succeed you have to be willing to fail. Everyone on this board complaining about lost money......It's R&D, research and design.........key word: RESEARCH.
You almost never going to succeed on the first try (or in this case, the third try). I hope they can solve the problems and get a fourth one up and running soon. Technology is exciting...:)
Well it's different when you (i.e.: the tax payers) are paying for it.
I disagree cpc65. We taxpayers have been paying for this stuff since taxes and R&D have both existed. The research that we pay for today will have yield unending benefits in the future. We the tax payer have paid for research in satelites, rockets, jets, etc etc etc. And look where we are technologically today.
People really need to stop complaining simply because they don't understand the benefits from failed experiments.
I love reading all the comments about the "wasted money". R&D with Nasa (and the Military) has lead to most of the creature comforts and technology we take for granted. Microwaves, cell phones, antilock breaks, computers...all the result of tax-payer dollars and Government programs. Do you people honestly feel that investing in our futures are a waste? Stop screaming about positive scientific research and ask why Oil Companies and Banks and other industries making Billions in profit are ALSO given Billions in subsidies. Why aren't you screaming about your tax dollars being used to give profit to companies ALREADY making profit???
Physics Numbers are easy to Analyze Its a Miscalculation in Numbers in their Blueprints
More of our hard earned taxpayer dollars thrown into the toilet by this administration!! Please stop the government waste Obama!
If you went to school at all you'd know that trials and errors eventually lead to success.
Is this why Mitt keeps running for POTUS
It must be nice being on welfare and not having to pay taxes!!
Yesterday I posted a pedantic, philosophic comment on this blog supporting this project.
I don't care what anyone says, I am putting catsup on my crow at dinner tonight.
Well, back to the old drawing board.
Good on you. Philosophical pedantry rocks. Keep it up and keep the faith!
I don't believe it, I thought I was the only one. Dang, now I have to find another blog. There ain't enough room for both of us in these parts pardner. I can't afford to be one-upped,
another $140 million wasted in seconds. On to our next 'test'...
To all the "oh so much money was lost!" people: How many rockets exploded trying to get into space? And how many satellites do we have now? Like your cell phone? Cable TV? Knowing if a storm is coming? Was it worth it? How 'bout being able to get from one coast to the other in a few hours? You do know people used to resort to cannibalism on such trips right? Holy cow people, have a little freakin' vision.
no, I don't use a cell phone, don't much care for that stuff, but I do care about the hundreds of thousands of people who don't have enough to eat. Chew on that for a bit – by wasting all this money we are killing all those 'undesirables' – what makes your cell phone more important than a human life?
Meanwhile, science has allowed us to feed alot more people due to certain bio-breakthroughs. Unfortunately, it sounds like you never attended school.
Brian, and you typed your inane comment on what? A personal computer????
My question was intended for Brian Smith.
Brian, what makes your life more important than a child starving in Congo? If not, then kill yourself in order to reduce your carbon footprint. Your logic is just as far-fetched.
Huh?
The thing is, the large majority of innovations were funded and created by private businesses. In such a case failure is acceptable – it's their mistake, and their money lost as a result. But when taxpayers are funding such a venture, an occurrence like this one is totally, ridiculously, unacceptable. For one, the money was spent without asking the taxpayers if they even supported the idea. The very least that can be asked for is that this project, funded without our consent, should work. If you ask the man who doesn't dread the arrival of his bills, doesn't wonder how he can afford to keep his home – I'm sure he will have little problem with this. But if you ask his counterpart – you bet he's going to take issue, with good reason. This is just crazy.
If I were driving at the speed of light in my station wagon and I turned the lights on, would they do anything?
Yes - your headlights would work, due to Einstein's theory of relativity.
According to the law of relativity, from your perspective, you'd still see the lights as you normally would. That is, of course, ignoring the fact that once you do reach the speed of light (impossible) all physics breaks down...
Sad, the last test went better. Not a very assuring display of the current engineering skills in the US.
I'm a little perplexed by the picture, were was the launch point? They seem to have on a lot of layers for this time of year.
Tax payers should not worry, we will just borrow more money from the Chinese. LOL
Another billion $ up in smoke!
Well. The government wastes another 300 Billion....Yes that's correct this thing costs the tax papers hundreds of billiions of dollars not including the man power and wasted time. Way to go government...It won't be long till they try again and waste more money while people have no jobs and are starving...Wake UP America
Hey moron.... who was president when this program was initiated? It sure as hell wasn't our current President. The funding had already been allocated prior to our current administration so you can't blame President Obama for this one...
That's a major issue with traveling at such high speeds. Your vehicle tends to disintegrate if major control issue occur. You're likely dead long before you reach the ground. The X-51A was more of a scram jet with small fins than a aircraft.
And there they go, 140 millions flushed down the toilet. At least hopefully the 16 seconds of data will be helpful.
I believe this is what they call an EPIC FAIL!
Wouldn't life be wonderful if everything we attempted to do was successful on the first try?
I think they just proved, it is not easy to build a hypersonic aircraft. That said, Next time, they need more duck tape.
This is a prime example of US incompetence. Hopefully, in the near future, one of the many smarter countries on the earth will be successful. to the US I have to say, NICE TRY MORONS!
Controlled atmospheric flight at those speeds is one of the most difficult tasks attempted by mankind. It will take a few tries to get it right.
I'm sure you're not some white American teen trying to troll. No way! that couldn't be it. Never! You wouldn't do that...
" Said the guy riding on a came l"
Not for nothing Rabbi .. but if it were not for "incompetent Americans" Isreal would not exist . Have a great day !
Uh... no one has ever done this before. We at least attempted it. None of your 'smarter nations' dare to even give it a try. But as long as we're talking about incompetence and failure, I agree that we should stop wasting money trying to solve the problems in the Middle East. Let your 'smarter nations' give that a try, with their tax dollars instead of mine.
Like the ignorant neanderthal's in your third world country could come anywhere close to that kind of technology. Go back to emptying your chamber pots.
See if any of your favorite countries can land a rover on MARS..Moron
Rabbi Ashmedai Ben Hashatan is clearly the Moron Here
So Rabbi, do you bring this same level of childish ignorance to your flock? The U.S.A. invented everything from the zipper to the space shuttle. You're clearly angry about issues that have nothing to do with the United States technological abilities.
– Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until they speak.
This guy is not a rabbi. This guy is a troll for sure. Don't let the poser fool you.
"Ashmedai Ben Hashatan" translates as this: Ashmedai was a legendary king of demons in Talmud, "Ben" means "Son of", and HaSatan means Satan. Again, this person is a troll trying to make trouble.
Well, this is why the test these things. If they could guarantee it wouldn't fail, then they wouldn't need testing.
I have told them time and time again......STOP using those China made fins! Spend 10 bucks and get the American made ones next time.
Look closer at your brain. It probably was made in China too
$140 Million has been flushed. THANK YOU, US GOVERNMENT!!!
Start buying powerball tickets – your odds of not failing there are much, much better.
This project is proving to be one hell of a challenge.
Orville Obama Crashes Again! What a loser!
Because, he designed and built the drone himself?
From the looks of his name, I'm guessing he's a Marine (past or present)...which I suppose explains a lot about the comment. LOL If they would have been able to score more than a 35 on their ASVAB 100% of Marines would have chosen the Air Force or Navy. I base that statement, of course, only on the comments of the Marines I've served with who all said they wish they could have gone AF or Navy. LOL
Lmao again at this administration!!
Riiiiight, aerospace engineering began and ended with Obama, is that your suggestion dimwit?
And so a project started in the 90's is Obama's fault?
turrusists
Here we are stretching the envelope of technology with a cutting edge propulsion system and a component as simple as a tail fin fails. Go figure.
When you're talking controlled/sustained flights at 4,600 mph tail fin design isn't such a simple issue anymore.
Tail fins that work at Mach 6 are not so simple.
It cracks me up that they still name these planes "X-something", like it's out of a comic book.
X is for 'eXperimental'. The designation has been in use *long* before it was used in comics.
The X prefix indicates that it is experimental
X stands for experimental. E was already in use for Electronic, as in counter measures, and counter counter measures.
clearly this craft deserves the X prefix.
I wish I knew what the X stood for..
You're joking right?
X = experimental
Dont count on trasnportation across the globe in just a couple of hours, this is a wepaons delivery platform. The advantages are obvious. It is interesting however we already have a orbital platform for this, it may not be as fast but in most cases the recipient would never see it coming.
I see the problem. The Air Force is flying over water. Thats the Navy's job...
Fly Navy
70% of the Earth's surface is covered by water...100% of the Earth's surface is covered by air and space. Hmmmmm... Let the intra-service war begin.
Why can't you military types learn to play nice with each other??? The Army thinks it's too good to use a Navy computer system, the Air Force thinks they're the final word in military accounting, and the arrogance goes on and on.... GO PURPLE!
plop!
600 BILLION DOLLARS for stuff like this, yet we can't seem to agree helping the poor is just as important.
This whole program has cost only 140 million dollars and we still have 3 left. The SUV we just landed on Mars with the help of a freakin sky crane only cost 2 1/2 billion dollars so why would a 25 foot missle with a scram jet in it cost 600 billion?
What a stup1d pilot lol.
Sucks to see that the test flight failed but I still don't see how this tech will ever be used to transport people. That kind of acceleration would kill people.
Get back up on that horse and ride, boys. It's really too bad that they're developing this technology for the primary purpose of making faster tactical nuclear cruise missiles BUT eventually it will find it's way to commercial aviation...and hey, Los Angeles to Sydney in about 4-6 hours instead of the, what is it, 15-16 hours now? That would be worth it.
The Concorde, in the long run, didn't work out too well either. Despite many years of successful flying its accidents caused it to be taken out of service.
Is the United States still working on a safer version of this type of aircraft, far more practical for people and a lot less ambitious?
The Air Force will figure this out. Should be successful soon enough!
With the cost of this crash Michelle and the kids could have skied in Colorado again, visited Spain with 40 friends and even climbed the pyramids in Mexico once more!
Hey Paul Ryan, Do you approve this expensive failed tests ? How many old citizens we need to sacrifice for these army tests ?
Kim Jong Un laughed.
This is the second failed attempt. This craft has design flaws. I believe the Air Force needs to go back to the drawing board.
Rally? the Kitty Hawk took 800 attempts before it flew, but of course a bunch of know-it-alls with NO science or engineering background seem to think 2-3 tests give them enough to second guess. Go figure.
NICE WASTE OF TAXPAYERS MONEY . RECORD UNEMPLOYMENT, RECORD HIGH TAXES, RECORD DEBT.
THROW THIS GOVT. OUT
Ummmmm...Ryan's budget proposal includes 8 billion increase for military spending. Cut medicare and increase the Pentagon's budget. Sounds about right if you're a Republican.
Yeah!!! Lets get a govenment like the one in......ah..........???.....
Yes, shut that program down. It will reduce the number of unemployed. (not!)
Said the man who doesn't know how to operate a caps lock button.
Wonder how much that cost the tax payers?
Not to worry about the money, we will just borrow more money from the Chinese.
Let's see.. $140 million for the test. Over 300 million Americans. That's less than 50 cents per person.
And this cost how much?
It cost American tax payers 600 Billion dollars. Just this one, there was a previous one that also crashed and burned. When are we going to stand up as a nation and let this governemnt know what we think about them
It cost $140 Million. $600 billion is all of the current medicare/medicade/ss budget. $729 Billion is the entire military budget.
The fact that you think or are trying to induce other people into thinking that we've spent 2.4 trillion dollars on four 25 ft missles shows why you or any politician you support should not be handling our finances.
Um, no. The whole program is $140 million, including four test vehicles. You could argue this one thus cost $35 million, but that isn't quite right, as there are fixed program costs etc. If they decided to crank out an extra for another test, it would probably be less than that. Where did that money go? It employed a lot of people, military people, defense contractors, machinists, government employees, ...
Way to go, Greensperm! Always make the Obama jokes before anything else, including thinking and standing up for your country. Another great American!
LOL, just another wasted millions in the history of Obama.
Look another idiot!!!
This project was started WAY before Obama.
It's probably in the budget that CONGRESS set, a Republican Congress...Because it likely falls under "defense spending"
Its really frustrating that they let such low information voters have an influence on US politics.
Compared to the millons lost by Bush?
uh, you need to swap that "m" for a "b".
Trillions. The Iraq war alone is estimated to cost 2 trillion. The Bush Tax cuts cost another trillion per decade.
So you agree.. we should cut military spending.
We could cut it by 90% and still spend more than any other country wont happen. The Air Force if no one knew has a terrible terrible budget and has no one lobbying for them.
Wow you are a moron.
What?
Come on Kobe. I despise Obama's policies as much as any sane American, but a failed military flight test is not political and is not the President's doing.
Totally agree Scott. Mitt Romney is an alien spy and he sabotaged this project!!! ; )
Genius, this project began wasting billions way before Obama was elected. And, next time try using an INFORMED opinion.
lolz, and yet you'd criticize him if defense spending was cut by a single penny. The dude can't win because you're a racist idiot.
Yeah I mean it TOTALLY has Obama's fingerprints all over it:
In the 1990s, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) began the HyTECH program for hypersonic propulsion. Pratt & Whitney received a contract from the AFRL to develop a hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet engine which led to the development of the SJX61 engine. The SJX61 engine was originally meant for the NASA X-43, which was eventually canceled. The engine was applied to the AFRL's Scramjet Engine Demonstrator program in late 2003.[3] The scramjet flight test vehicle was designated X-51 on 27 September 2005.[4]
How is this an Obama issue. This is the military; this test would happen whether it was Obama or a Republican. Probably more if it was a (R) since they increase military spending.
ignorant
And how does this compare to the trillions wasted in the search for weapons of mass destruction as well as the loss of innocent life? If you know your politics at all, normally Republicans are more bullish on defense systems, so if anything Romney will want to continue this project. This is a case where money is well spent. It has implications both military and commercial. Think before you comment.
Why is it that trailer trash trolls like you must blame everything on Obama? Everything. Are you so dumb, so single-minded, so low-IQ'd that everything in your life is his fault? Everything? This is an R&D program. It has been under development for decades. The Air Force and NASA were working on this in Bush's administration too, and flights failed then, too. Did we hear from you then? I know. I know. You're one of those that is living in his mom's basement. You went to community college for a half a semester, maybe more, but dropped out because you thought you were too smart for it. Now you're slaving away at a minimum wage job, when you have a job, which is rarely, and the rest of the time you're sucking on the government for unemployment or welfare, all the while sniveling about socialism and "those liberals". Could you be any more pathetic? Get off your butt. Pull up your pants and act like an adult. The rest of us are sick to death of people like you. America wasn't built by people like you, but those of us who are contributing have to drag your anchor-self behind us. Pathetic. Truly pathetic.
Good post, nothing but uneducated rednecks that never even got to college let alone finished who think they understand composite materials. They do not seem to grasp that the new jet engines being tested are quite likely the next generation in both military and civilian flight – but they are really just looking for someone to blame because $2 of their taxes went to something other than a gun rally.
The money disappeared at six times the speed of sound!
Just a thought, but maybe they should revise their goal to 6 times the speed of smell. Or 6 times the sound of light. Pretty sure that would satisfy the critics.
This is chump change compared to what you will suffer if you vote for the GOP. Shake your head and try to form an original thought. n
Ground tests for first prototype in 2006.
Oh my god, how much money did I just lose?
.08 cents get over it.
How much money did you personally just lose ? _maybe_ $0.10
Not much. This program is a tiny percentage of the federal budget. Not even 1/10 of 1 percent. You couldn't even buy a latte for what you lost personally. There isn't an R&D program in the world that doesn't suffer failures. Those jets that you fly to see your family every year? When they were first being designed, most of them blew up or crashed. The space program, from which new materials, computer chips (which allow you to sit at your PC and ask the questions ), velcro, teflon, electronics, GPS, and a host of other things you use were derived? The first dozen or so rockets blew up on or near the launch pad. Name the program, it always started out badly. We learn as we go. We build on what we know and figure it out.
Not even close enough for you to have any say in it.
Thats what I love about unmanned aircraft. Nobody dies. Build another and try again boys. Good luck!
They built 4. That was the 3rd test it is yet to be determined if the last one will be tested.
you realize they cost hundreds of millions of dollars each, right?
Millions, yes. Hundreds of millions, no.
To innovate you have to be willing to fail. Carry on.
Some folks are just clueless as to what you just said. R&D every innovator does it.
Something to say about R&D. Win some, loose some. Keep trying Edwards AFB, you'll get it someday!
So how much money did we lose on this again?
We didn't reach space on the first try. All new roads to success will come with failure. Personally I'd rather we spend billions on test like this, instead of Villages in Afghan who hate us.
At least this is research and development. Something that could possibly help us in the future. It's fair to argue that the government shouldn't be the one doing it, but while they are, I'll take this spending over buying more tanks and jets that we don't really need.
Scott, and there your wrong again. First of all, it is a national and strategic interest, so yes government IS involved, in fact the private sector should have no control over anything with a national interest. But even if it did, much of R&D *IS* already done by the private sector. Seriously, get informed.
It went to plaid.
!!!! Spaceball Love it.
Just one step closer to our ultimate goal of reaching ludicrous speed.
My gum. Has anyone seen where I put my gum.
If it works the Russians and Chinese are going to go ape sh!t. hehe.
I'm glad the pilot was alright.
good job guys. Should have just thrown out 20 million dollars in cash out of the bomber over the pacific. would have saved some time & effort while spending the same money.
How dare we spend money toward progress and science and engineering. If we are going to spend money on an experiment it better work!!!
Progress is made from mistakes and learning from them. We can't wine and moan every time we make a mistake. That is why we are so messed up already. If you are too afraid of mistakes you add more and more expensive safeguards to the process to a point where it is cheaper to make a mistake find the cause fix it and try again.
I am sorry but idiot comments like that really get my goat. It shows middle school thinking of what it takes for progress. If it works... Great, if it fails, we learn more. Lets not learn anything
i moan every time i wine.
sure, if you call dropping a very expensive turd out of an airplane spending "money toward progress and science and engineering".
Maybe they should have done a bit more testing before the maiden voyage? I'm not against progress... only stupid.
Unless you bother to consider that the money went to pay peoples salaries, develop new technologies and build infrastructure. Please take a class in economics before you talk about throwing money away...
same thing could be said about the bridge to nowhere. please take a class in logic before you point out people needing to take a class in economics....
Them darn edjumacated smart folk.....
I heard propeller planes are the best way to travel.
Yes, seriously, the same thing COULD be said about the bridge to nowhere. Again you fail to understand the difference between throwing money out of a plane versus using that money to drive the economy...
Obviously by referring to scramjets as turds you have no concept of the science whatsoever, go back to FOX where you belong.
it dropped from the airplane, spiraled out of control and was destroyed. just like a turd from an airplane bathroom. You're an idiot, haha
Too bad. I would have loved to see this thing kick butt.
Glad I held of on purchasing trans-Atlantic tickets on the X51-A.
OMG when we perfect this we will be able to fly across the world in minutes!!! Except i'm sure we will use it for combat only...
This is obviously all Obama's fault. Romney will fix everything up, and even fly in the unmanned plane himself!
With his dog strapped to the top.
how many billions went down into the Pacific with this failure?
The program cost so far has actually been $150 million so far, cheap for program standards. Feel free to Google that figure with the X-51S program and a bunch of articles will come up.
Another Obama failure!
idiot.
There's some Kool Aid on the table. I'd help yourself to some more before Election Day, sunshine.
Apparently EVERYTHING in your life is about Obama. Pretty sad existence.
Hey moron....if you had a brain you'd be dangerous.
What Obama has to do with it?
Maybe we need to send you into space
This is a failure for America and your inability to distinguish that is more concerning than the outcome fo this test.
Spot on Greenspam
Start with "Greenspam" then add "Hitman". Drop the last three letters from each, combine what's left (first name then second name) and see what you get...games are fun! Now back to the real world....