This rare footage shows NASA testing the X-43A, an experimental hypersonic aircraft built to explore extreme-speed flight. Because scramjet engines cannot start from rest, the vehicle was carried under a B-52, boosted to hypersonic speed by a rocket, and only then ignited its own engine. | SpaceEve

CHINA PUSHES THE LIMITS OF FLIGHT WITH HYPERSONIC TECHNOLOGY China stunned the global aerospace community after reports confirmed successful tests of a hypersonic flight vehicle capable of reaching speeds around 8,100 km/h—well beyond Mach 5, the threshold that defines hypersonic travel. At these speeds, aircraft don’t just fly through air—they reshape it. Important Details: • Hypersonic speed begins at Mach 5 (over 6,100 km/h at altitude) • Reported test speeds approach 8,100 km/h (≈ Mach 6–7)