Because of the X-43's design, NASA had to release it from a B-52 for it to fly. Once airborne, however, the flights were short-lived. NASA destroyed the first jet in 2001 when it malfunctioned ...

NASA married a scramjet to an experimental plane, called the X-43A Hyper-X. The X-43 began its existence as a concept in a NASA wind tunnel in 1996. It was considered a risky investment because no ...