X-51A Waverider Honored with National Space Society’s Pioneer Published Sept. 26, 2011 By Dr. Thomas Brown Propulsion WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The National Space Society has awarded the 2011 Space Pioneer Award in the Science and Engineering category to the X-51A Scramjet Engine Demonstrator - Waverider team for their historic accomplishment during 2010. This Space Pioneer Award was given specifically to the X-51A team (Air Force, Boeing, and Pratt & Whitney) in recognition of the success of the X-51 Waverider, the first scramjet-powered vehicle to achieve sustained hypersonic flight. This is the first achievement of a longstanding goal, and the fact that the vehicle accelerated and maintained controlled flight during its two and half minute maiden flight was found to be truly significant by the awards committee. Creating a reusable, hypersonic vehicle is a critical step toward being able to build an air-breathing, reuseable, first-stage space launcher, which would greatly reduce the enormous cost of space launches. The 2011 Space Pioneer Award for Science and Engineering was presented on May 20, 2011, in Huntsville, Alabama, at the Governor's Gala. The X-51A Waverider Team was represented by its by Project Managers: Charles Brink, Air Force Research Laboratory; William Cook, Boeing Phantom Works; and Michael McKeon, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. All personnel who contributed to this effort are honored with this prestigious award.