Английский язык: Аннотирование и реферирование текста

185 2.1. ТЕКСТЫ ДЛЯ СТУДЕНТОВ НАПРАВЛЕНИЯ « ПРИБОРОСТРОЕНИЕ » Текст 1. How Hypersonic Planes Work By Kevin Bonsor NASA's experimental space plane, the X-43A, set a new speed record for aircraft on November 16, 2004. In the unmanned test flight, the plane reached Mach 10 – 10 times the speed of sound, or about 6,600 miles (10,600 kilometers) per hour. This flight broke the previous speed record of Mach 7, set in March 2004 by the X-43A in a previous test flight. What sets the X-43A apart from other rocket-powered aircraft is that it is powered by a scramjet engine. Instead of using onboard oxy- gen to combust the hydrogen fuel, the scramjet scoops up oxygen as it travels through the atmosphere. By eliminating the need for onboard oxygen, cutting the weight of the spacecraft, the X-43A could lead to cheaper Earth-to-orbit space travel. In this article, we'll take a look at hypersonic planes and learn about their air-breathing engines. Living On Air The futuristic X-43A prototype looks like a flying surfboard. It’s thin, has a wingspan of 5 feet (1.5 m), measures 12 ft (3.7 m) long and 2 ft (0.61 m) thick and weighs 2,800 pounds (1,270 kg). But the most unique feature of the X-43A is its engine.