Case Study: NASA achieves record‑breaking Mach 10 X-43A flight with MathWorks Model-Based Design

NASA's X-43A Scramjet Achieves Record-Breaking Mach 10 Speed Using Model-Based Design

NASA needed flight- and propulsion-control systems for the X-43A hypersonic scramjet — a Mach 10 unmanned research vehicle — and faced the challenge of keeping the vehicle stable within tight angle‑of‑attack bounds and ensuring safe separation from its booster across an uncharted flight regime. To support collaboration across multiple teams and automate development and telemetry analysis, NASA used MathWorks tools, including MATLAB, Simulink, Simulink Coder, Control System Toolbox, and Optimization Toolbox.

MathWorks enabled a model‑based design flow: teams used Simulink to design and validate control laws (including Monte Carlo and HIL testing), Simulink Coder to automatically generate the C code deployed on the flight management unit, and MATLAB for telemetry processing and Kalman filtering. The result was a working autopilot on the first try, development time reduced by months, accurately predicted separation clearance, and contributions to achieving an SEI CMM Level 5 process rating.

NASA

Dave Bose

Analytical Mechanics Associates