English: NASA Langley Research Center, VA (May 30, 2002) -- A hypersonic cruise missile engine used in the first-ever ground test of a full scale, fully integrated hypersonic cruise missile using conventional liquid hydrocarbon fuel. A team led by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) from Laurel, MD, in collaboration with the newly developed Hypersonic Flight Demonstration Program, conducted jointly with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the Office of Naval Research (ONR), are developing experiments to produce a future high-speed strike weapon, capable of speeds in excess of Mach 6 with a range of 600 nautical miles. Hydrocarbon fuels are non-toxic and safe to carry aboard ship. Photo courtesy DARPA/ONR/NASA Langley Research Center. (RELEASED)