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NASA unveils mysterious X-70 experimental aircraft using AI-generated image

NASA’s X-70 Fractal announcement comes as agency aims to grow X-plane fleet.

NASA unveils mysterious X-70 experimental aircraft using AI-generated image

NASA has unveiled plans for a new experimental aircraft known as the X-70 Fractal. The aircraft is expected to incorporate reconfigurable flight-control technology and a modular design capable of accommodating various payloads. However, details about the aircraft's design and development schedule remain unclear. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman stated that the X-plane could be operational within two years.

The announcement was made during the UP.Summit at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 4. The press release accompanying the announcement featured an image of the X-70 that appeared to be AI-generated, depicting a dark silhouette that vaguely resembled a military fighter jet obscured by smoke. During the event, Isaacman described the X-70 Fractal as a crewed, high-performance platform designed to test advanced flight-control, maneuverability, and other innovative technologies in real flight.

He added that its modular design and the ability to quickly swap internal and external payloads would enable NASA teams to remain continuously active, learning, and progressing from one experiment to the next.

Written by urgent.news from Ars Technica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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