DARPA Reveals Why Its Hypersonic Glider Failed Last Summer
- Posted on April 20, 2012 at 8:30pm by
Liz Klimas
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Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2 (Image: DARPA)
LOS ANGELES (The Blaze/AP) — An unmanned hypersonic glider likely aborted its 13,000 mph flight over the Pacific Ocean last summer because unexpectedly large sections of its skin peeled off, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency said Friday.
The Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., atop a rocket and released on Aug. 11, 2011, was part of research aimed at developing super-fast global strike capability for the Department of Defense.
(Related: Defense company loses contact with hypersonic jet)
The vehicle demonstrated stable aerodynamically controlled flight at speeds up to 20 times the speed of sound, or Mach 20, for three minutes before a series of upsets caused its autonomous flight safety system to bring it down in the ocean, DARPA said in a statement.
A gradual wearing away of the vehicle’s skin was expected because of extremely high temperatures, but an independent engineering review board concluded that the most probable cause was “unexpected aeroshell degradation, creating multiple upsets of increasing severity that ultimately activated the Flight Safety System,” the statement said.
“The initial shockwave disturbances experienced during second flight, from which the vehicle was able to recover and continue controlled flight, exceeded by more than 100 times what the vehicle was designed to withstand,” said DARPA Acting Director, Kaigham J. Gabriel. “That’s a major validation that we’re advancing our understanding of aerodynamic control for hypersonic flight.”
Eventually the upsets grew beyond its ability to recover.
The 2011 flight was the second time an HTV-2 was launched. The first flight, in April 2010, also ended prematurely.
Data from that flight was used to correct aerodynamic design models for the second test, resulting in controlled flight, and now data from the latest flight will be used to adjust assumptions about thermal modeling, Air Force Maj. Chris Schulz, the DARPA program manager, said in the statement.
“The result of these findings is a profound advancement in understanding the areas we need to focus on to advance aerothermal structures for future hypersonic vehicles. Only actual flight data could have revealed this to us,” he said.
Most specific details of the program are secret. DARPA has released artist renderings showing a craft that looks something like the tip of a spear. After the 2011 flight the agency released handheld video, taken aboard a monitoring ship, that showed a dot streaking across the sky.
The HTV-2 would have splashed down in the ocean regardless of the anomaly. The vehicles are intended to be used once and are not recovered.
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Sorocialism
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 4:07pmThe vehicles are intended to be used once and are not recovered. (By America no…But they better believe that China is fishing these up…)
Report Post »SoCtNights
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 12:41pmWashington DC escape pods?
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 11:00ambtw,
Report Post »darpa lost 2 of these last year.
Sorocialism
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 4:03pmThe HTV-2 would have splashed down in the ocean regardless of the anomaly. The vehicles are intended to be used once >>>and are not recovered<<<.
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 4:32pmthey lost them…all info lost.
what part of bs do you not understand?
we have the tech to find anything anywhere.
Report Post »pizza delivery drivers use it every day.
babylonvi
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 8:40pmIn black ops talk, this means everything worked fine and the results are none of your business.
Report Post »navyblue
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 12:02pmSort of like a cigarette, you only ‘smoke’ them once, but must remember not to ‘inhale.’
Report Post »tajloc
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 9:06amThe lack of sci knowledge in this blog is amazing. Much faster and this “missile” would escape and go into orbit. So they were probably testing for skin failure at lower speeds. Error in science is important. They found out about skin failure at very high speed while still in the atmosphere. this is probably for SDI. After all if Korea were aiming at San Francisco then we would want to launch and hit their ICBM as early as possible….or maybe we wouldn’t in that case.
Report Post »Rom 8:28
Buck Shane
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 11:28amHaving trouble understanding this.
If it is intended to be a kinetic impact weapon, why is it a glider? DARPA is also testing SCRAM jets, but expect much lower speeds.
Why keep it in the atmosphere? Increase it’s speed just a little and it orbits – no friction to heat the skin and no speed degradation.
If we let it orbit, don’t we already have all the technology we need; isn’t it just an ICBM?
This speed is tactically important. It allows a response to actionable intelligence before it degrades. But don’t we already have response capability with our cruse missiles on our ships around the world?
Report Post »Kerstile
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 8:42amSuper secret defense stuff. We should believe any info these people release?
Report Post »SGTMACAZ
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 12:59amJust another way to waste our money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hate those damned people.
Report Post »JL9999
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 10:04amWhat a great expenditure of our money. I love those people. It sure beats the hell out of giving it away to people who refuse to get a job.
Report Post »ScienceIsNotEvil
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 7:08pmSo why are you on the Internet and why do you use GPS if you hate wastes of money like this? This is how we learn.
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 12:56amIn the vacuum of outer space there is no sound…so sound does not travel…using this as a reference …How fast would the glider go??
Report Post »mr.goodvibe
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 1:25amAs fast as it was traveling when it detached from the rocket?
Report Post »Viper1
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 9:04amFuzzy wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy was he? I don’t like our money being spent on junk science and this appears to be junk science.
Report Post »mr.goodvibe
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 12:45amI heard the Zionist Lizard People shot it down :>
Report Post »JL9999
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 10:06amNo no no. We keep telling you there are no more Lizard people. They evolved into Democrats who refuse to look for a job. We call them the “I want some free Obama money” people.
Report Post »cuinsong
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 11:46pmIs this white or black skin?
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 12:33am@cuinsong
“Is this white or black skin?”
Redskin…. after all, it does look like an arrowhead. Wasn’t this project called Warpath? : )
Report Post »pwatkins
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 11:31pmAnother problem blamed on the skin…wonder what color it was?
Report Post »JL9999
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 10:08amAs you see fromt he drawing it had a dark skin so don’t tell Rev Al or he will claim it was a racist plot.
Report Post »smokey888x2
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 11:27pmIt’s a bird, a plane …. no it’s super Al-Jessie rac’n to another one in 50 event!
Report Post »Armed Patriot
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 6:45amDont you mean racn to another free buffet???
Report Post »rdjones
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 10:20pmSCOTTIE, ya have to give me more deflector sheild, man!!!…..Captain, that is she’s got, and I ain’t gots no more ……..WTF !!!….OOOOOOOPPPSSS…..crackel ……….
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 9:46pmMaybe it failed because the US Gov is more interested in making Muslims happy about their contributions to science… like NASA is doing now.
Perhaps the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency should be called the US Dumb Ass Revolutionary Protest Agency and just let the 99% idiots run it?
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 10:21pmPersonally I feel Obama had it crash as it did for the reason of the Chinese getting their hands upon it. One more gift for his Communist leader-brethren-bosses.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 12:46am@Snow
Report Post »You just might be right about that. : (
ScienceIsNotEvil
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 7:10pmI remember a time when Republican’s loved and supported science? What happened? Former President Ronald Reagan would be ashamed of most of you.
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 9:39pmWhat are they hoping to engage with that – space-ships? I don’t think 13,000 mph would be fast enough.
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 9:50pmWhat could be so important on the other side of the world that would be so important to take out within minutes? Since it’s on the other side of the world, that kind of doesn’t seem like a immediate threat to the U.S to justify all the technology and money.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 9:54pmYou do know that the 25 year old (retired) Space Shuttles traved at 17,000 MPH?
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 11:05pmOh yeah I know the space shuttle travels 17,000 plus miles per hour, but the subject of conversation in the article was 13,000 mph. For that matter, 130,000 mph wouldn’t be fast enough.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 12:44am@Itsjusttim
Report Post »I just figured out who you are.
You‘re an 8 to 12 years old boy with Asperger’s syndrome that stays at home all day and doesn’t have any friends. Sorry if I said anything bad to you in the past. I won’t bother you anymore.
Good luck!
scruffycat
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 12:45amVandenberg AFB is an awesome place. I haven’t been there since about 1959 when I was 4 years old. I can remember going on base about 3 times. My dad worked there helping to build it back then. He was ex-Navy and an electrician. They allowed the families of workers to come and visit as they kept the workers on-base as much as they could. I can remember going through multiple guard sentry checkpoints with the guard houses, and the arms that came down to block the road until you show them your papers and ID and they check you against their list and then they show you which way to go and lift the crossing gate. Snappy uniforms. Big guns. Black projects…
Report Post »JP4JOY
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 9:34pmI hope their research math was better than their report. If they actually reached 20 times the speed of sound (770mph) then their vehicle was traveling 15,400 mph which would be 2,400 mph faster then their target test speed of 13,000 mph. That is 16% overspeed, maybe that’s why the skin peeled?
Report Post »flynlownslo
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 9:55pmThe speed of sound varies with altitude. The higher you go, the lower the speed of sound. For example, at 60,000 feet the speed of sound is about 660 mph.
Report Post »Mr.Fitnah
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 9:23pmNeed work on the skin texture it should have reversed golfball pockets or made out of obama ears.
Report Post »cantbelieveallthisgarbagecouldhappenwhodoislap
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 4:26pmThink his ears are already burning,to much wind resistance!
Report Post »thegodfather
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 9:20pm“Chewy,…………. angle the deflector shields while I make the calculations to jump to hyper space.”
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 8:57pm13,000 mph flight over the Pacific Ocean last summer because unexpectedly large sections of its skin peeled off. 13,000 mph,unexpected?????? I am surprised it didn’t melt
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 8:56pmSkyNet… is not Ready, yet! George hold off on that collapse of the Euro!
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 8:55pmPut a little bacon grease on the wings and aim it at Mecca…
Report Post »Meyvn
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 8:17amhehe ;-)
Report Post »cantbelieveallthisgarbagecouldhappenwhodoislap
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 4:21pmlike
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 8:48pmThe skin peeled, sounds like they need more sunscreen, maybe 3000 spf.
Report Post »Banter
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 8:44pmAs Rockhound said in ‘Armegeddon’ :
“You know we’re sitting on four million pounds of fuel, one nuclear weapon and a thing that has 270,000 moving parts built by the lowest bidder. Makes you feel good, doesn’t it?”
Report Post »t00nces2
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 8:38pmI wonder just what this has to do with Muslim outreach?
Report Post »Mannax
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 8:48pmTo reach them within 20 minutes with a bomb would be my guess.
Report Post »VoteRightDammit
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 9:38pmNow THAT is …………..
funny?
prescient?
sad?
T R U E.
Report Post »Meyvn
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 8:18amI think BadDoggy addressed that.
Report Post »