Somewhere in the Australian outback (Wired News) - On Friday, a team with the Hypersonic Collaborative Australia/United States Experiment launched a 'scramjet' for the first time.
The 'scramjet' reached a speed of Mach-10 (ten times the speed of sound) which is equivalent to approximately 11,000 km/h (6,800 mph). The experimental vehicle was released at a height of 530 km (330 miles) and then returned to earth.
Said former director of Team Discovery, Johan Bruyneel: "Mach-10? That is really f**ing fast! Not even Lance Armstrong reached those speeds on his mountain descents."
Meanwhile, in a possibly related story, defense experts are seeking a plausible explanation for the recent documented increase in midair collisions between Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) and manned aircraft.
In all cases there were no survivors to testify for or against 'scramjets'.
