Hypersonic aircraft takes its 2nd (and final) test flight today
Today, the U.S. Military’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will conduct the second-ever test flight of the Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2, or HTV-2. What’s so special about the HTV-2? Maybe the fact that it can reach top speeds of around 13,000 MPH.
Aboard the HTV-2, you could fly from New York to Los Angeles in less than 12 minutes. A flight from London to Sydney would take you no more than an hour.
Except you won’t be flying on it anytime soon. The HTV-2 is an unmanned aircraft that while maneuverable, glides through the air. It is launched via rocket, which takes it up to the edge of space and drops it off for a hypersonic soar.