The aircraft was carried into space by a multistage rocket before separating and relying on its own power. During independent flight it conducted extreme turning man oeuvres, maintained velocities above Mach 5.5 (five-and-a-half times the speed of sound) for more than 400 seconds, and achieved a top speed of Mach 6, or 7,344km/h (4,563mph), the statement said.