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NASA Unveils X-70 Fractal Experimental Aircraft in Florida
NASA unveils its X-70 Fractal experimental aircraft, a crewed research platform, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Key points
- The crewed X-70 Fractal can carry up to 2,000 pounds of experimental payloads in internal and external locations.
- The aircraft has a takeoff weight of 10,000 pounds and is designed to cruise at Mach .75.
- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman expects the X-70's first flight under the NASA banner within the next two years.
Why it matters. NASA says the X-70 will expand its capacity for experimental flight research and speed testing of advanced aviation technologies, such as flight-control systems.
NASA on Wednesday unveiled its newest experimental aircraft, the X-70 Fractal, at the UP.Summit at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crewed research platform can carry up to 2,000 pounds of experimental payloads and has a takeoff weight of 10,000 pounds, with a design cruise speed of Mach .75 and altitudes of up to 45,000 feet. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said he expects its first flight under the NASA banner within the next two years.
Latest updates
NASA Unveils X-70 Fractal Experimental Aircraft in Florida
NASA unveiled its newest experimental aircraft, the X-70 Fractal, on Wednesday during the UP.Summit at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crewed aircraft is described as a high-performance, highly adaptable research platform. It features advanced, rapidly reconfigurable flight-control technology. NASA says the design will accelerate the development and testing of advanced aviation technologies. Details on the first flight dates and research partners were not included in the available report.