It is almost 20 years since Concorde s last flight and the end of supersonic air travel that cut flight times between London and New York to just three hours - for those with deep enough pockets. But now a handful of companies are working on passenger aircraft capable of breaking the Mach 1 sound barrier of 700mph (1126kmh), potentially ushering in a new age of high-speed travel. Start-ups such as Aerion, Boom Supersonic and Spike Aerospace have either attracted hundreds of millions in funding or billionaire backers. Business jet makers and Virgin Galactic are also thought to be mulling projects. Some companies have attracted support from industry heavyweights such as Boeing, GE and Rolls-Royce. Concorde was a marvel of technology, says Simon Carlisle, director of strategy at Rolls-Royce. The physics haven t changed. We just need smarter ways of solving the problems supersonic flight presents.
Supersonic travel breaks the sound barrier - but other obstacles remain
Aerospace companies are working to bring back Concorde speeds - but after a year of video calls do we still want them?
1 January 2021 • 12:30pm
It’s almost 20 years since Concorde’s last flight and the end of supersonic air travel that cut flight times between London and New York to just three hours - for those with deep enough pockets.
But now a handful of companies are working on passenger aircraft capable of breaking the Mach 1 sound barrier of 700mph, potentially ushering in a new age of high-speed travel.
NASA s X-59 Supersonic Demonstrator in Final Assembly ainonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ainonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
NASA Marks Halfway Point In Supersonic X-Plane Construction
Image: Lockheed Martin/Garry Tice
Construction of NASA’s X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft has reached the halfway point, according to an announcement from the agency last week. The X-59 is being assembled by Lockheed Martin at the company’s facility in Palmdale, California. NASA also announced that it has awarded Lockheed Martin a $40 million contract to provide support for the community overflight response phase of the Low-Boom Flight Demonstration (LBFD) mission.
“In 2024, NASA will fly the X-59 over select communities to measure public perception of the sound,” the agency said. “The data from these tests will be given to U.S. and international regulators, potentially opening the future to commercial supersonic flight over land.”
North America Aerospace Avionics Market 2025 – A USD 29 Billion Revenue Opportunity marketwatch.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from marketwatch.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.