NASA unveiled the X-70 Fractal, a crewed experimental aircraft designed to test advanced aviation technologies. The agency announced the platform on Wednesday at the UP.Summit at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The X-70 features rapidly reconfigurable flight-control technology that enables NASA to explore aircraft maneuverability in new ways during crewed flight. The aircraft can carry up to 2,000 pounds of experimental payloads in internal and external locations.
The X-70 has a takeoff weight of 10,000 pounds, cruises at Mach .75, reaches altitudes up to 45,000 feet, and operates over a range exceeding 1,726 miles. NASA expects the first flight under the agency's banner within the next two years.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the modular design allows teams to "rapidly swap internal and external payloads" and move quickly between experiments. "The X-70 Fractal gives NASA a crewed, high-performance platform to test advanced flight-control, maneuverability, and other cutting-edge technologies in real flight," Isaacman stated.
The X-70 joins NASA's legacy of experimental aircraft that includes the Bell X-1, which broke the sound barrier in 1947, and the current X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator.