That earlier test with the X-43 was around Mach 7 which was on the lower end of a scramjet's operating envelope. Mach 10 is on the upper end of the envelope. Everyone knew a scramjet would light up at Mach 7 but whether or not it'll light up at Mach 10 is unclear. The X-43 performing well at Mach 10 would be excellent news and might(?) indicate the potential for using scramjets to access LEO. However it is more likely the scramjet won't lightup at all or merely light up and not produce positive thrust. Dr. Alan Paull has put together a team in Queensland, Australia to do some follow on work with scramjets. His future funding will almost certainly depend upon the success of X-43 at Mach 10.

Gary