DARPA’s several hundred million dollar quest to build an aeroplane that can nuke anything within an hour isn’t going so well. It’s lost both launched prototypes, mysteriously disappearing (and presumably burning up and crashing into the ocean). Here’s the video.
The footage here, released by DARPA, shows the ill-fated HTV-2 Falcon’s last moments before the Pentagon lost track of it. You can see it separate from each booster rocket, speed into the distance, and then… gone. But perhaps this is all part of the plan — what greater way to achieve a surprise attack than to have absolutely no idea where the plane is? [Aviation Week]
olearymo
Friday, August 26, 2011 at 11:09 AMCloaking technology gone wrong.
It’s cloaked, but even its creators can’t find it :P
stevjosco
Friday, August 26, 2011 at 11:12 AMIt’s obvious isn’t it? The plane reached 88MPH and went back to the future.
Terry
Friday, August 26, 2011 at 3:24 PMWell, another article elsewhere suggested it had hit about mach 20 (roughly 20,000kph)
If that’s the case, it’s probably all the way back to the big bang by now. Or it’s parked at the restaurant at the End of the Universe
FrancisM
Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 3:05 AMPush the button…which one … the little black one, that’s lit up back to let you know it’s on !
EckyThump
Friday, August 26, 2011 at 11:15 AMThe fact is, that they were told if this test fails, it’s the end of it! No more money would be sunk into it, it’s over!!
Steve
Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 11:52 PMIt’s the US Military, they’d find some way to sink billions of taxpayer money.
“Here’s our new, amazing hypersonic aircraft. Perfect for all those dogfights we get into with the Taliban.”
Ollie
Friday, August 26, 2011 at 12:04 PM…but did the test fail?
EckyThump
Friday, August 26, 2011 at 12:26 PMWell I don’t know what parameters they will put on it, but I’m thinking that if they lost it, and the information they needed after it was hypersonic, then it’s a failure! #]
xxx
Friday, August 26, 2011 at 1:24 PMRussia obviously stole it.
Rob
Friday, August 26, 2011 at 3:44 PMChina already has a fully functioning version… completely original in design… and made for 1/4 of the price in 1/2 the time.
EckyThump
Friday, August 26, 2011 at 4:11 PMI’d love to see that article, do you have a web address?
Steve
Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 11:51 PMOh hai Tom Clancy.
Van
Friday, August 26, 2011 at 11:08 PMwhats with the 100million dollar space nuke rocket, being filmed with a $100 camera? i guess they were worried they might lose the camera so wouldnt wanna spend too much on it
EckyThump
Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 9:34 AMWhat rocket are talking about? got a web address?