Chinese researchers recently tested a demonstration version of a reusable, hypersonic spacecraft in the vast Gobi Desert in late February as part of a major push to become one of the leaders in space exploration, according to a new report.

According to the South China Morning Post, the Chinese space vehicle took off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia before reaching speeds greater than five times the speed of sound, about 1,715 meters per second, and landed safely. It's not clear how long the scaled-down hypersonic device was airborne.

While reusable vehicles reduce launch costs, one pragmatic issue with the approach is controlling where the reusable boosters land. The GB Times recently reported that booster rockets used to launch satellites and global positioning devices were falling into people's backyards.

?On February 12, a booster fell into a building in the town of Xiangu in Tiandeng County, Guangxi, and reportedly exploded.

?China has pulled ahead of the United States in hypersonic technology, US officials say. Admiral Harry Harris, head of US Pacific Command, warned US lawmakers last month in no uncertain terms that "China's hypersonic weapons development outpaces ours."

The US is "falling behind" in hypersonic technology, the official said. These comments have been echoed by other members of the US military brass, including General Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who remarked in late January the United States "lost [its] our technical advantage" in hypersonic military technology.

A researcher told the Post that Beijing sees a hypersonic space plane as a technology with military and civilian purposes. In the military domain, a hypersonic projectile or vehicle could evade missile detection systems by its sheer speed. In the civilian realm, hypersonic planes might support space tourism.

BrahMos, a joint Russian-India defense company that produces one of the most formidable precision missiles on the planet, recently announced that the company's supersonic missiles would reach hypersonic speeds in less than 10 years.

Source: Sputnik News

Related Links
China Defense News at Spacewar.com
Military Space News at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Kremlin says no interest in US arms race in 'invincible weapons' row
Moscow (AFP) March 2, 2018
The Kremlin on Friday said Russia will not be part of a new arms race as the United States and NATO voiced concern over Vladimir Putin's boasts of new "invincible" weapons. Putin stunned the West - and many in Russia - on Thursday by using his state of the nation address to unveil a new arsenal of hypersonic weapons and submarines less than three weeks before an election is expected to extend his rule until 2024. The revelations came with ties between Russia and the West at post-Cold War lows ... read more