Air Force Cadets work with NASA to design spacecraft

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Researchers and cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy are working with NASA to design aircraft and spacecraft that are better able to handle heat and turbulence at hypersonic speeds.

This week, they launched a sounding rocket from the Wallops facility in Virginia. The launch appeared to be a success, with project leaders saying afterward that good data was obtained from the mission.

The academy has facilities that can simulate hypersonic flight. Still, this was a rare chance to send a rocket into the sky.

The series of experiments will help design next-generation hypersonic systems.