Development and Flight Test of the X-43A-LS Hypersonic Configuration UAV

Abstract

The X-43A-LS program is focused on the development and flight testing of a full scale X-43A-LS Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for the development of a lowspeed flight test database for the X-43A configuration, for validation of the X-43 control laws, as well as the development and flight test of an adaptive critic based autonomous approach and landing controller. The X43A-LS was designed and built and is being tested by Accurate Automation under Small Business Innovation Research contracts from NASA Ames Research Center and NASA Langley Research Center. The UAV is a low-speed version of the NASA X-43A Hyper-X Research Vehicle. The X-43A-LS is a Mach 10 lifting body design, but is built for investigation of the lowspeed flight envelope. The aircraft is fully reusable, designed to take off and land, under its own power, from a conventional hard-surface aircraft runway. This paper will describe the program to date, including the development of the UAV, the planned flight test program and flight test results to date.