NASA has introduced its latest experimental aircraft, the X-70 Fractal, signaling what the agency calls "a new beginning for aeronautics." However, the announcement, made at the UP.Summit at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was met with disappointment from fans when the agency released an AI-generated image of the aircraft instead of actual photographs.
"If you're going to introduce an aircraft, AT LEAST SHOW IT," one user commented on X. Another questioned, "Why share a photo if you won’t share the photo." The X-70 Fractal is designed to serve as a crewed platform for testing advanced flight controls, maneuverability, and other cutting-edge technologies in real-world flight conditions. "Its modular design and ability to rapidly swap internal and external payloads will keep our teams flying, learning, and moving quickly from one experiment to the next," said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. The agency expects the aircraft's first flight under NASA's banner within the next two years.
Details about the X-70 Fractal indicate it will have a payload capacity of 2,000 lbs and a takeoff weight of 10,000 lbs. It is engineered for a cruising speed of Mach 0.75, comparable to a Boeing 737, and can reach altitudes of up to 45,000 feet with a range of approximately 1,726 miles. Further information regarding the launch date and cost has not yet been released by NASA.
"For decades, NASA Aeronautics has used X-planes to develop technologies that advance aviation," said Laurie Grindle, director of the Aeronautics Division within NASA's Research and Technology Mission Directorate. "It's exciting to bring on another X-plane to accelerate and drive aeronautics research." The X-70 Fractal joins a lineage of notable NASA X-planes, including the Bell X-1, which first broke the sound barrier in 1947, and the X-15, which still holds a speed record of Mach 6.7 set in 1967. NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator is also part of this ongoing development in aviation research.