NASA unveiled its newest experimental aircraft, the X-70 Fractal, on Wednesday during the UP.Summit at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The high-performance, highly adaptable research platform is designed to accelerate the development and testing of advanced aviation technologies.

The crewed X-70 features advanced, rapidly reconfigurable flight-control technology that NASA says will allow it to explore aircraft maneuverability in ways never before demonstrated in crewed flight. The aircraft can also accommodate up to 2,000 pounds of experimental payloads in internal and external locations.

NASA said the X-70 has a takeoff weight of 10,000 pounds, a cruise speed of Mach .75, an altitude ceiling of up to 45,000 feet, and an operational range exceeding about 1,726 miles (1,500 nautical miles). NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency expects the aircraft's first flight under the NASA banner within the next two years.

The X-70 joins a legacy of NASA experimental aircraft that includes the Bell X-1, which first broke the sound barrier in 1947, the X-15 hypersonic research aircraft, and the X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator.

Source: NASA