NASA plans to develop hypersonic plane for manned mission to Mars

NASA has announced funding to develop a hypersonic fixed wing air/space vehicle capable of flight speeds between Mach 8 and Mach 20. Over five years US$5 million will be spent on the research and development of a vehicle that could one day take the first humans to Mars.

NASA intends to fill technological gaps in the areas of materials and structures, air-breathing propulsion, aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, plasmadynamics, atmospheric decelerator technologies, and entry descent and landing technologies. Identified as the two primary areas of interest for the funding period are developing an air-breathing propulsion system capable of gaining access to outer space, and designing an entry, descent, and landing (EDL) system for the delivery of high-mass vehicles into planetary atmospheres.

Full text http://www.gizmag.com/nasa-to-develop-hypersonic-plane/16884/

More info (NASA-PDF)