US Air Force Hypersonic Test Fails

[HowlerMonkey]

On top of that, there are no current SAM systems available to hit a target moving at those speeds. I am sure they could try and retool a Patriot to do the job, but hitting an air-breathing, maneuverable vehicle like a cruise missile moving at those speeds is significantly harder than a re-entry vehicle on a ballistic trajectory. In essence, such a weapon gives the military fielding it the ability to strike anywhere in the world with about 2 hours notice assuming they could put enough fuel on board without being anywhere near as provocative as launching an ICBM.

Check the sprint missile and it's descendents.

The altitude at which a scramjet currently needs to operate makes it trackable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZZV464z9g8

 

[Aero51]

Except it spiraled out of control as a result of a defective fin. That isn't particularly useful, especially because the particular control problem is already solved considering it worked several times before.

At least the engineers now know how the X-43 will perform under broken fin conditions. Maybe they will find that all X-43's should be designed with broken fins to save on cost...you never know.

On a serious note, it still seems useful to at least know what will happen if something goes wrong.