From the BBC:
A new jet engine designed to fly at seven times the speed of sound appears to have been successfully tested.
The scramjet engine, the Hyshot III, was launched at Woomera, 500km north of Adelaide in Australia, on the back of a two stage Terrier-Orion rocket.
Once 314km up, the Hyshot III fell back to Earth, reaching speeds analysts hope will have topped Mach 7.6 (9,000km/h).
It is hoped the British-designed Hyshot III will pave the way for ultra fast, intercontinental air travel.
An international team of researchers is presently analysing data from the experiment, to see if it met its objectives.
The scientists had just six seconds to monitor its performance before the £1m engine crashed into the ground.
More here.