Key facts
- NASA described the X-70 as crewed, cruising at Mach 0.75 with a maximum altitude of up to 45,000 feet.
- NASA said the aircraft would have an operational range beyond 1,726 miles (2,778 kilometers).
- NASA said the X-70 would have a takeoff weight of 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms).
- NASA said the design could accommodate up to 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) of experimental payloads internally and externally.
- NASA's press release named no aircraft manufacturer that might help develop the X-plane.
- NASA's announcement included an apparently AI-generated image of the X-70, a dark silhouette obscured by smoke.
NASA announced the X-70 Fractal, a crewed experimental aircraft, on November 4 at the UP.Summit held at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said the X-plane could take flight within two years.
"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 said. He said its modular design and ability to rapidly swap internal and external payloads would keep teams flying and moving quickly from one experiment to the next.
NASA's press release described the X-70 as designed to cruise at Mach 0.75 while reaching a maximum altitude of up to 45,000 feet, with an operational range beyond 1,726 miles (2,778 kilometers). It said the aircraft would have a takeoff weight of 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms) and a design capable of accommodating up to 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) of experimental payloads both internally and externally.
The release named no aircraft manufacturer that might be helping NASA develop the X-plane. The announcement was accompanied by an apparently AI-generated image of the X-70 showing a dark silhouette vaguely resembling a military fighter jet obscured by smoke. Ars Technica reported that it had reached out to NASA for more details.
Much remains unknown about the aircraft's design and development timeline. Ars Technica reported that another X-plane is expected to be announced at the UP.Summit on November 6, according to Aviation Week, coinciding with a scheduled announcement from President Donald Trump at the event.