SKIES & SAUCERS
NASA Unveils Experimental X-70 Fractal, Shows Public One Smoky Image
The crewed research aircraft is billed as a 'new beginning for aeronautics,' though its appearance and price remain undisclosed.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. — NASA this week announced a new experimental aircraft, the X-70 Fractal, at an event at its Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, according to a report by T.K. Randall of Unexplained Mysteries, which cites Mail Online.
The report states that the vehicle has a cruising speed of Mach 0.75, or 575.4 miles per hour, and a maximum operating altitude of 45,000 feet. It is said to be capable of carrying both human crew and experimental payloads.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described the craft as a crewed, high-performance platform for testing flight-control, maneuverability and other advanced technologies in real flight. He is quoted as saying its modular design will let teams swap payloads quickly, and that a first flight under the NASA banner is expected within two years.
The curious element, according to the report, is the evidence offered to the public. NASA is said to have supplied only a single AI-generated image of the aircraft, shrouded in shadow and smoke. The article calls this perhaps the most controversial aspect of the announcement.
What the finished machine will look like, and what it will cost, remains a mystery, the report concludes. Readers seeking further particulars must, for the present, content themselves with the smoke.