James Cast
Headquarters, Washington, DC                        June 6, 2001
(Phone: 202/358-1779)

Frederick A. Johnsen
Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA
(Phone: 661/276-2998)

RELEASE: 01-116

X-43A MISHAP INVESTIGATION BOARD CONVENES

    NASA today convened a board to determine the cause of 
Saturday's loss of the first X-43A unpiloted hypersonic research 
aircraft. 

Gathering at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards CA, 
the board consists of members from other agency centers, 
including:
- Robert Hughes, chairman, Marshall Space Flight Center, 
  Huntsville, AL
- John J. Deily, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
- Joseph J. Lackovich Jr., Kennedy Space Center, FL
- Victoria A. Regenie, Dryden Flight Research Center
- Luat T. Nguyen, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA

The mated X-43A and its booster rocket went out of control about 
eight seconds after ignition of the Pegasus motor during the 
June 2 launch over the Pacific Ocean off the California coast. 
The booster was intentionally destroyed using onboard flight-
termination explosives, and fell safely in a cleared Navy sea 
range. There were no injuries and no damage to other aircraft or 
property. 

This mission was the first of three flights to demonstrate an 
airframe-integrated, "air-breathing" propulsion system design, 
called a scramjet, which so far has only been tested in ground 
facilities, such as wind tunnels.

                             -end-