Aerospace company Space Transportation conducted the first flight test of a hypersonic plane prototype named Yunxing, which promises to reach speeds of Mach 4, around 4,900 km/h, more than twice the speed of the famous Concorde.
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The inaugural full flight is scheduled for 2027, and if the project is successful, it will be the first supersonic passenger plane since the Concorde ceased operations in 2003. The Yunxing could reduce the travel time between London and New York to just 1.5 hours, while conventional aircraft take approximately eight hours for the same route.
Several companies are committed to bringing back supersonic air travel. In the United States, Venus Aerospace is developing an engine that could achieve Mach 6. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has also shown interest in creating a supersonic jet, but due to his intense workload, he has not yet started this project.
Musk envisions an electric jet with vertical takeoff and landing, which would be an innovation by reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Additionally, the billionaire explained that by reaching higher altitudes, an electric aircraft could maintain supersonic speeds with lower energy consumption. Thus, he believes that a supersonic electric plane would have considerably greater energy efficiency.
The anticipation surrounding these new technologies indicates a real possibility of a return to commercial supersonic air travel, now with the potential to be faster and more energy-efficient than before.
Source: Independent | Photo: X @CNSpaceflight | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team