NASA Unveils X-70 Fractal Experimental Aircraft

NASA has unveiled its newest experimental aircraft, the X-70 Fractal, during the UP.Summit at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Aircraft Capabilities

The crewed X-70 features advanced, rapidly reconfigurable flight-control technology. It can accommodate up to 2,000 pounds of experimental payloads in internal and external locations.

The X-70 Fractal has a takeoff weight of 10,000 pounds and is designed to cruise at Mach .75, reach altitudes of up to 45,000 feet, and provide an operational range exceeding about 1,726 miles (1,500 nautical miles).

Official Statements

"The X-70 Fractal gives NASA a crewed, high-performance platform to test advanced flight-control, maneuverability, and other cutting-edge technologies in real flight," said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. "Its modular design and ability to rapidly swap internal and external payloads will keep our teams flying, learning, and moving quickly from one experiment to the next. We expect her first flight under the NASA banner within the next two years, and X-70 is just one part of this new beginning for aeronautics. This is why people come to NASA: to build, to learn, and most importantly, to fly."

"For decades, NASA Aeronautics has used X-planes to develop technologies that advance aviation," said Laurie Grindle, director of the Aeronautics Division within NASA's Research and Technology Mission Directorate. "It's exciting to bring on another X-plane to accelerate and drive aeronautics research."

Context

The X-70 joins a legacy of experimental aircraft including the Bell X-1, which first broke the sound barrier in 1947, the X-15 hypersonic research aircraft, and today's X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator.

Why it matters

The X-70 will expand NASA's capacity to conduct experimental flight research and accelerate the testing of emerging aviation technologies.

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Sources

• nasa.gov: NASA Announces X-70 Experimental Aircraft to Advance Flight Research  - NASA

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