Space Plane Prototype Completes Final Test
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NASA on Saturday successfully completed the seventh and final test flight of the X-40A, an unmanned prototype of a reusable space plane.
An Army helicopter carried the aircraft to just over 15,000 feet before releasing it for a two-minute flight at Edwards Air Force Base.
The X-40A reached a speed of 304 mph before landing safely at 6:17 a.m., according to a NASA press statement.
The X-40A, built by Boeing Co., is 22 feet long and weighs about 2,600 pounds. It is an 85% scale model of the planned X-37 experimental reentry vehicle.
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