[originaltext] The first prototype of an aircraft intended to revolutionize

The first prototype of an aircraft intended to revolutionize travel and shatter speed records was destroyed during its maiden flight on Saturday after a booster rocket carrying it a- loft veered out of control and tumbled from the sky.
     US space scientists were forced to destroy the un- manned X43A prototype in midair just minutes before the plane was due to fire the oxygen scooping "scramjet" engine designed to drive it at seven times the speed of sound.
    NASA cameras aboard two F-18 chase planes showed the Pegasus rocket careening off course and failing out of control from the sky before controlers triggered on board explosures to destroy it over the Pacific Ocean at about 1:45 pm PDT (4:45 pm EDT/2045 GMT)
    Pieces of the booster rocket and the small, black X- 43A prototype, part of NASA’ s "Hyper-X" programme, fell into the sea.