SOME BAD NEWS IN AEROSPACE � AUSTRALIA WAS INVOLVED�
A couple weeks ago, This Week In Science was happy to bring you news of the upcoming test flight of Japan�s National Aerospace Laboratory�s 1/10th scale model of their proposed NEXST1 craft, meant to be a supersonic passenger-carrying vehicle to replace the Concorde. Sadly, however, the test occurred last weekend and ended in disaster. On the bright side, at least no one was injured, as the test craft was not crewed. Taking place at the Woomera launch site in southern Australia, it was hoped that a booster rocket would carry the $80 million, 40 foot long mock-up to an altitude of 12 miles, where it would be released to return to the test site in a supersonic glide. However, the experiment was only 100 meters up from the launch site when it spiraled catastrophically into the ground and exploded. This is a sad setback, but hopefully not a final blow for this promising idea. The aims of the NEXST1 project, whose developers also include Mitsubishi and Nissan, is to replace the aging, noisy, and inefficient Concorde, currently the world�s only supersonic jetliner, with an aircraft that travels nearly four times the speed of sound while carrying 300 passengers, all while using 75% less fuel than the Concorde and doing it quietly. Let�s wish them luck.
current science news posted by ted at 7/15/2002 06:37:00 PM
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