Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2
Encyclopedia
Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2) is a crewless, experimental aircraft developed as part of the DARPA Falcon Project capable of flying at 21,000 km/h (13,000 mph). It is expected to provide the United States of America with the capability striking any target in the world within one hour.
technologies and to demonstrate its effectiveness.
at Mach 20. The HTV-2 was boosted by a Minotaur IV Lite
rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base
, California. The flight plan called for the craft to separate from the launch vehicle, level out, and glide above the Pacific at Mach 20. Contact had been lost with the vehicle nine minutes into the 30-minute mission. In mid-November DARPA stated that the first test flight had ended when the computer autopilot had "commanded flight termination" after it had begun to roll violently.
A second flight was initially scheduled to be launched on August 10, 2011, but bad weather forced a delay. The flight was launched the following day, on 11 August 2011. The unmanned Falcon HTV-2 successfully separated from the booster and entered the mission's glide phase, but again lost contact with control about nine minutes into its planned 30-minute Mach 20 glide flight. Initial reports indicated it purposely impacted the Pacific Ocean along its planned flight path as a safety precaution.
Development
The Falcon HTV-1 program, which preceded the Falcon HTV-2 program was conducted in April, 2010. The mission ended within nine minutes from launch. Both these missions are funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to help develop hypersonicHypersonic
In aerodynamics, a hypersonic speed is one that is highly supersonic. Since the 1970s, the term has generally been assumed to refer to speeds of Mach 5 and above...
technologies and to demonstrate its effectiveness.
Design
Development of protection structures that are tough and light-weight, development of an aerodynamic shape that has a high lift to drag ratio, development of automatic navigation control systems etc. were some of the initial technical challenges that had been overcome in the final design. The various departments involved in designing the vehicle included aerothermodynamics, materials science, hypersonic navigation, guidance and control systems, endo- and exo-atmospheric flight dynamics, telemetry and range safety analysis. The Sydney Morning Herald notes that when flying its fastest, the craft could cover 17,000 kilometres, the distance between London and Sydney, in 49 minutes.Flight testing
The HTV-2's first flight was launched on 22 April 2010. The HTV-2 glider was to fly 4800 miles (7,724.8 km) across the Pacific to KwajaleinKwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
at Mach 20. The HTV-2 was boosted by a Minotaur IV Lite
Minotaur IV
Minotaur IV, also known as Peacekeeper SLV and OSP-2 PK is an active expendable launch system derived from the Peacekeeper missile. It is operated by Orbital Sciences Corporation, and made its maiden flight on 22 April 2010, carrying the HTV-2a Hypersonic Test Vehicle...
rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
, California. The flight plan called for the craft to separate from the launch vehicle, level out, and glide above the Pacific at Mach 20. Contact had been lost with the vehicle nine minutes into the 30-minute mission. In mid-November DARPA stated that the first test flight had ended when the computer autopilot had "commanded flight termination" after it had begun to roll violently.
A second flight was initially scheduled to be launched on August 10, 2011, but bad weather forced a delay. The flight was launched the following day, on 11 August 2011. The unmanned Falcon HTV-2 successfully separated from the booster and entered the mission's glide phase, but again lost contact with control about nine minutes into its planned 30-minute Mach 20 glide flight. Initial reports indicated it purposely impacted the Pacific Ocean along its planned flight path as a safety precaution.
See also
- Rockwell X-30Rockwell X-30-See also:-References: 2. -External links:*...
- Boeing X-51Boeing X-51The Boeing X-51 is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft for hypersonic flight testing. It successfully completed its first free-flight on 26 May 2010 and also achieved the longest duration flight at speeds over Mach 5.The X-51 Waverider program is run as a cooperative effort of the United...
- Prompt Global StrikePrompt Global StrikePrompt Global Strike is a United States military effort to develop a system that can deliver a precision conventional weapon strike anywhere in the world within one hour, in a similar manner to a nuclear ICBM. Potential scenarios that would require such a fast response might include an impending...