Hypersonic Craft Is “Very Unique”: The joint Air Force and DARPA program to develop hypersonic technology comes in two parts: a glided or powered system and a link to low cost, responsive space launch vehicles. Air Force Research Lab’s Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland AFB, N.M., says the effort is it is on course to conduct the first glided hypersonic test vehicle flight in September 2007.
NASA, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance are all preparing to launch their next-gen rockets from Florida’s Space Coast, two of them before the year is out. One is expected to liberate the U.S. launch enterprise from its reliance on Russian-made RD-180 engines, while all three rockets could eventually carry astronaut crews.