X-41 Common Aero Vehicle
US military spaceplane
| X-41 Common Aero Vehicle | |
|---|---|
| Role | Experimental maneuvering re-entry vehicle Type of aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Status | Experimental research program |
| Primary user | DARPA |
X-41 is the designation, initiated in 2003, for a still-classified United States military spaceplane. The X-41 is now part of the FALCON (Force Application and Launch from Continental United States) program sponsored by DARPA and NASA.
Description
Specifications or photos of the X-41 program have not been released to the public; thus little is known about its goals. It has been described as an experimental maneuvering reentry vehicle capable of transporting a 1,000-pound payload on a sub-orbital trajectory at hypersonic speeds and releasing that payload into the atmosphere. The word "Aero" in "Common Aero Vehicle" stood for "aeroshell", not "aerospace", because the CAV was a common aerothermodynamic shell for varying and multiple payloads.[1] The technology necessary for the X-41 is not known and reportedly has yet to be developed. However, it is believed to be a new form of hypersonic propulsion capable of exceeding Mach 7, perhaps reaching Mach 9 (11,000 km/h; 6,900 mph).
See also
- Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2
- Prompt Global Strike
References
- ^ "X-41 CAV".
External links
- GlobalSecurity.org: X-41
- Spacedaily.com: CAV
- Pentagon Has Far-Reaching Defense Spacecraft in Works, Washington Post, March 16, 2005
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USAF / Joint Service experimental aircraft (X-plane) designations since 1941
"S" (1946–1947)
"X" (1948–present)
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1 Not assigned • 2 Assigned to multiple types • 3 Unofficial
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