Rocket Sled Traveling At 7,200 km/h (4,363 mph) Successfully Stopped During Hypersonic Test At Holloman
June 4, 2022 WeaponsDAVID CENCIOTTI
An image of the reusable rocket sled travelling at 6,400 feet per second (7,200 km/h) during the late March 2022 test. (Image credit: USAF)
The test marked the fastest recovery of a monorail sled in over 30 years, and the first time a planned reusable sled was ever recovered at those speeds. The test paves the way for more hypersonic weapons testing.
Holloman High Speed Test Track (HHSTT), is a 51,000 feet (about 10 miles) track located at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, and operated by the 846th Test Squadron. It uses a special 9-inch monorail sled that can be launched at speeds in excess of 9,000 feet per second, that is around Mach 8.6 calculating for altitude.
As we have explained in detail in a previous article, the track is used for the Hypersonic Readiness program, which is a series of tests being conducted by the 846th Test Squadron, belonging to the 704th Test Group of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex, to support programs and projects that involve hypersonic weapons (weapons travelling at speeds over Mach 5) including the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW).
https://theaviationist.com/2022/06/04/rocket-sled-traveling-at-7200-kmh-stopped/
