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China Tests Hypersonic Aircraft "Starry Sky-2"

posted by chromas on Thursday August 09 2018, @12:00AM   Printer-friendly

takyon writes:

China claims to have successfully tested its first hypersonic aircraft

China claims to have successfully tested its first hypersonic aircraft, a big step forward in aerospace technology that could intensify pressure on the US military. The China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA), based in Beijing and part of the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, conducted the first test of the "Starry Sky-2" aircraft last Friday.

Hypersonic vehicles are not simply high-speed -- they travel at least at five times the speed of sound. That's fast enough to travel across the US in around 30 minutes. According to a CAAA statement released Monday, the Starry Sky-2 reached a top speed of Mach 6 -- six times the speed of sound, or 4,563 miles (7,344 kilometers) per hour.

The test was a "complete success," claimed CAAA, which posted photos of the test launch on social media platform WeChat. "The Starry Sky-2 flight test project was strongly innovative and technically difficult, confronting a number of cutting-edge international technical challenges." The CAAA did not indicate what the new aircraft or technology would be used for, other than to say they hoped to continue contributing to China's aerospace industry.

Also at Quartz and NextBigFuture.

Related: General: U.S. Has No Defense Against "Hypersonic Weapons"

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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by bob_super on Thursday August 09 2018, @01:03AM (4 children)

    by bob_super (1357) on Thursday August 09 2018, @01:03AM (#719159)

    "Thank you China ! Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you !
    Now we have a successful test to point to, so we can scare politicians and gobble billions of dollars building some counter-measure that will never ever be used!
    Garcon, another round of champagne, please!"
    Raytheon, Northrop, Boeing, and friends...

    Starting Score:    1  point
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  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday August 09 2018, @01:05AM (2 children)

    by takyon (881) <takyonNO@SPAMsoylentnews.org> on Thursday August 09 2018, @01:05AM (#719163) Journal

    çççççççç 💥 🇨🇳

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    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]

  • (Score: 2) by fido_dogstoyevsky on Thursday August 09 2018, @03:29AM

    by fido_dogstoyevsky (131) <axehandleNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Thursday August 09 2018, @03:29AM (#719226)

    ...Now we have a successful test to point to, so we can scare politicians and gobble billions of dollars building some counter-measure that will never ever be used...

    Reminds me of the bankrupting of the SSSR...

    --
    It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.