NASA unveils X-70 aircraft with high altitude capabilities
NASA introduced the new crewed X-70 Fractal aircraft at the UP Summit in Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday.
Aircraft specifications and design
The new flight research vehicle features a takeoff weight of 10,000 pounds. It is designed to cruise at Mach 0.75 while climbing to an altitude of 45,000 feet. The aircraft can fly more than 1,500 nautical miles during a single mission. NASA states the plane can carry up to 2,000 pounds of experimental equipment both inside and outside the fuselage.
Missing technical details
The official release did not mention the specific engines used for propulsion or the initial rounds of planned experiments. Reports also lack information regarding the contractor responsible for building the aircraft or the mode of piloting required. An artist's illustration serves as the only visual representation available to the public at this time.
Future flight timeline
Administrator Jared Isaacman expressed hope that a maiden flight would occur under the NASA umbrella within the next two years. The aircraft promises swappable payloads and reconfigurable controls for various research projects. Teams will be able to switch equipment between missions to use one aircraft for multiple different scientific goals.
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