The NASA Study

Remarkably, this NASA study was published one month after the North Sea sighting was first publicized in 1992. It is bigger than the Aurora design -- it is designed as a strike aircraft with a 10,000-pound weapons load, and uses over-and-under turbo ramjets rather than lighter combined-cycle engines. However, the similarities between this and Aurora are striking.

Hypersonic Aerodynamics

A full-color depiction of the hypersonic shockwave surrounding an Aurora-type mockup shockwave photo

This uncredited photo depicts the supersonic shockwave traveling over a computer model of an Aurora-style design. The image shows the aerodynamic behavior of the environment around the airframe to help verify its design. In hypersonic flight, aerodynamics plays a critical role in performance and safety. At these extreme speeds, hypersonic aircraft are subjected to intense thermodynamic stress. Note the areas in white and red, which are the points of highest stress on the aircraft. Engineers pay particular attention to the aerodynamic design of hypersonic aircraft, in order to safely manage the forces around the aircraft at very high speed.