Scramjet engine to move past ground tests

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Officials from a U.S. military and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne joint research team say a recent demonstration of the scramjet engine was completed successfully.

The research team, including Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Air Force Research Laboratory, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, NASA and Boeing, is working to develop the SJX61-2 scramjet engine.

The hypersonic hydrocarbon-fueled and -cooled scramjet engine has successfully demonstrated Mach 5 flight conditions that officials say advance the program closer to flight testing.

"The exceptional operation of the SJX61-2 flight clearance engine and subsystems allows us to move forward to flight with confidence," Curtis Berger, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne hypersonics programs director, said in a statement.

"Engine performance has met or exceeded our predictions throughout the test series."