scramjet

Santa’s leaving his workshop at the North Pole a little later this year, two hours later to be exact, according to reports out of NORAD. Have that many kids landed on his naughty list? No, says Naval Lieutenant Desmond James, spokesman for Santa tracking at the North American Aerospace Defense Command. “Kids are staying up later nowadays, so in past years Santa has had to double back a few times to make sure he’s hitting houses after they’ve gone to bed,” he says, citing an inside source at the North Pole. “He’s just streamlined his efforts.”

For a look at a prototypical Space Marine mission, launch the photo gallery.

5,000 MPH Approximate top speed clocked by the X-43A hypersonic scramjet aircraft on March 27


720 MPH Relative speed of sound


11 SECONDS Approximate duration of the X-43A’s powered flight


15 MILES Distance traveled


2 HOURS Estimated flight time from New York to Hong Kong traveling 5,000 mph


1 MILLISECOND Time the X-43A engine takes to generate thrust


2,200 MPH Previous record for a jet aircraft


1,350 MPH Average cruising speed of Concorde jet