X 43 Rocket Plane

NASA’s X-43A scramjet set a new world speed record for a jet-powered aircraft - Mach 9.6, or nearly 7,000 mph. The fastest air-breathing, manned vehicle, the U.S. Air Force SR-71, achieved slightly more than Mach 3.2. The X-43A tripled, the top speed of the jet-powered SR-71.