"US military to launch fastest-ever plane"

[1pLUs44]

The first test vehicle contact was lost and it went into an automatic controlled descent on its own and landed in the ocean for pickup. I bet this one did the same thing...or it just 'sploded somewhere and tiny bits of foil are hitting people in the head.

Or its going back in time and at the sheer speed it's traveling, it hits the ground and kills all the dinosaurs 65 million years ago! 

[mthrockmor]

I don’t know what happened but they deal with a possible issue with the space shuttle. As the shuttle comes in the intense heat that creates a plasma shield that has a perfect 100% radio wave absorbtion. They can see the shuttle but for a couple minutes they cannot communicate with it. I'm pretty sure they never fixed it. Maybe this played into it.

Boo

[MaSonZ]

I don’t know what happened but they deal with a possible issue with the space shuttle. As the shuttle comes in the intense heat that creates a plasma shield that has a perfect 100% radio wave absorbtion. They can see the shuttle but for a couple minutes they cannot communicate with it. I'm pretty sure they never fixed it. Maybe this played into it.

Boo

saying it went out of earthes orbit then re-entered but never fully "entered"? 

[icepac]

We're going to NASA to run some more cars next week so I will try to ask them.

[mijoieau]

Sounds good but how long does it take to climb on the back of another aircraft to get high enough to use it, as i guess its more like London to Sydney in 10 hours + as it only fast coming straight down so its more like a fast rock.

[Threeup]

Great!!!!

Maybe, given the state of the US economy you should look at cost cutting measures and get the Chinese to build it.

Just a thought

[Nikolai]

+1 We are getting a lot closer to building planetary transports. Now let us hope that this cat doesn't interrupt when we start venturing into space more!!!!

[mthrockmor]

Not rentry. Intense heat caused by friction creates the plasma field. Ground control lost ability to communicate with plane? Just speculating based on space shuttle experience.

Boo

[Shuffler]

Great!!!!

Maybe, given the state of the US economy you should look at cost cutting measures and get the Chinese to build it.

Just a thought

Well it does not cut cost. Once the product get state side it has to pretty much be rebuilt to correct it. China is still a joke in quality or capability when it comes to construction / fabrication.

They can make toys and bowls as long as you check them for contaminants.

[Golfer]

The test seems to have gone rather, um, well...?

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/08/vandenberg-launch-hypersonic-vehicle-fails.html

[curry1]

Pics or it didn't happen.  Seriously though, where are the pics for this thing?

[fuzeman]

It just discoed.

[PFactorDave]

It just discoed.

   Must run on Win7 64 bit!

[Tank-Ace]

saying it went out of earthes orbit then re-entered but never fully "entered"? 

No, the heat and preasure turn the surounding air into Plasma, which is just electrons that have been striped from their atoms. The plasma absorbs all radio (and possibly radar, I'm not sure on this) waves, which causes them to loose contact.

[Plawranc]

To quote a 2 year old Peter Lawrance (B6Pacman aka Me )

"Broken......"