The X-60A, an air-dropped liquid rocket for hypersonic flight research, has completed its critical design review.

The first flight is scheduled in about a year, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) says.

AFRL, Aerospace Systems Directorate, High Speed Systems Division, in partnership with Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc., is developing the X-60A vehicle. It is an air-dropped liquid rocket specifically designed for hypersonic flight research.

AFRL’s motivation for the X-60A program is to increase the frequency of flight testing while lowering the cost of maturing hypersonic technologies in relevant flight conditions. Each flight test will be carried out between 70 000 to 130 000 feet altitude and will cost under 5 million USD.

The X-60A rocket vehicle propulsion system is the Hadley liquid rocket engine, which utilizes liquid oxygen and kerosene propellants. The system is designed to provide affordable and regular access to high dynamic pressure flight conditions above Mach 5.

The X-60A is an air-dropped liquid rocket specifically designed for hypersonic flight research. It is the first Air Force Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to receive an experimental “X” designation.