Want to own the world's FASTEST rocket? Nasa scramjet that can reach speeds of 4,300mph to go up for auction

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Want to own the world's FASTEST rocket? Nasa scramjet that can reach speeds of 4,300mph to go up for auction

Posted by sciencetech-blog on Friday, July 25, 2014 Label:

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A rare auction is giving space enthusiast the chance to get their hands on the world's fastest rocket.

Dubbed the Kholod Hypersonic rocket system, the machine is driven by a cryogenically cooled liquid hydrogen called scramjet and can reach speeds of up to 4,310mph (6900km/h).

The rocket was the result of a £60 million ($101 million) project between Nasa and the Russian Institute for New Propellants and was completed in the early 1990s.

Tge Kholod Hypersonic rocket system, which can reach speeds of up to 4,310mph (6900km/h), is up for auction

It had previously held the world record for outright atmospheric speed between 1991 and 2001 after reaching a staggering Mach 6.47 (4,310mph).

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This is twice the speed of the fastest ever aircraft, the Blackbird SR-71.

It remains the fastest 'serially produced' machine to have ever travelled within the Earth's atmosphere and is now up for grabs with RM Auctions.

Nine Kholod rockets were made between 1991 and 1998, but five of the nine were destroyed during test flights. Pictured is the core tank of the rocket

It had previously held the world record for outright atmospheric speed between 1991 and 2001 after reaching a staggering Mach 6.47 (4,310mph)

The rocket remains the fastest 'serially produced' machine to have ever travelled within the Earth's atmosphere and is now up for grabs with RM Auctions

WHAT IS A SCRAMJET?

One thing has always been true about rockets: The farther and faster you want to go, the bigger your rocket needs to be.

This is because rockets combine a liquid fuel with liquid oxygen to create thrust. ake away the need for liquid oxygen and a spacecraft can be smaller or carry more payload.

That's the idea behind a propulsion called 'scramjet,' or Supersonic Combustion Ramjet.

The oxygen needed by the engine to combust is taken from the atmosphere passing through the vehicle, instead of from a tank onboard. The craft becomes smaller, lighter and faster.

Scramjets work by gathering up air, forcing it into a combustion chamber where the fuel (usually hydrogen) is burned, generating thrust that keeps the craft going.

Source: Nasa

Nine Kholod rockets were made between 1991 and 1998, but five of the nine were destroyed during test flights.

One of the remaining rockets was purchased by a private collector in the Middle East with the others on show at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Max Girardo, managing director at RM Auctions Europe, said: 'We have sold some unusual and interesting vehicles in our time.

'But a hypersonic rocket just about tops the list of the most remarkable objects we've ever presented.

'In all seriousness, the HLF Kholod is a truly significant piece of history.

'Its sale presents an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for serious collectors of aerospace memorabilia.'

The rocket will be put up for auction in Battersea Park in London on September 8. It currently has no price estimate or reserve.

Dubbed the Kholod Hypersonic rocket system, the powerful machine is driven by a cryogenically cooled liquid hydrogen called scramjet. An inside view is pictured here. Scramjets work by gathering up air, forcing it into a combustion chamber where the fuel (usually hydrogen) is burned, generating thrust

The rocket will be put up for auction in Battersea Park in London on September 8. It currently has no price estimate or reserve. Pictured is the core tank of the rocket

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