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Here’s What We Know About the X-70 Fractal, NASA’s Experimental New Plane

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Here’s What We Know About the X-70 Fractal, NASA’s Experimental New Plane

NASA has unveiled a new experimental vehicle, the X-70 Fractal, although many of its features remain a mystery. The agency describes it as a research platform designed to conduct advanced aeronautical tests, but so far it has released only computer-generated images and some technical specifications regarding its capabilities.

Despite the secrecy, it is possible to get some idea of what the new vehicle is like. First of all, it’s not a spacecraft, meaning it is not designed to reach Earth’s orbit or operate outside the atmosphere. However, this crewed, subsonic aircraft is capable of flying far above commercial jets, reaching altitudes over 45,000 feet, well into the stratosphere. Other specs released include the plane’s max speed of Mach 0.75—about 575 miles per hour—and that it can travel nearly 1,700 miles in a single flight.

According to NASA, the X-70 Fractal will enable research into maneuver capabilities never before demonstrated in crewed aircraft, although the agency has not specified what types of maneuvers it intends to perform. The plane will also be capable of carrying up to one ton of experimental equipment and is expected to make its first flight under the NASA banner within the next two years.

One of the key features of the craft will be its modular design, allowing for the rapid installation and replacement of experimental equipment both inside and outside the aircraft. ” It will also feature reconfigurable flight control systems so that NASA can study different ways of steering an aircraft without having to develop a separate platform for each research project.


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