Artist's depiction of a X-43A Hyper-X research vehicle under scramjet power in flight. The X-43A "scramjet" is attached to a modified Pegasus rocket under the wing of a B-52 aircraft before its release. The third X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket accelerated after launch from NASA's B-52B launch aircraft over the Pacific Ocean on Nov. 16, 2004. Preliminary data from the scramjet-powered research vehicle show its revolutionary engine worked successfully at nearly Mach 9.8, or 7,000 mph, as it flew at about 110,000 feet. NASA PHOTO