Supersonic Flights Set to Slash International Travel Times, But At What Cost?

Several companies are working hard to make supersonic flights, which are much faster than today's airplanes, available to everyone. This means people could travel from places like New York to London in much less time than it takes now. These supersonic flights haven't been around for the public since 2003, when the famous Concorde stopped flying.

But now, businesses like Boom Supersonic, Spike, and Exosonic are trying to bring them back, promising they will be quieter, better for the planet, and won't cost too much for passengers.

Supersonic Flights Could Return, Offering Faster Travel

Supersonic flights move faster than the speed of sound, which is really fast. Back when the Concorde was flying, tickets were very expensive, and there was a big accident in 2000. Today, only the military and NASA use these super-fast jets. NASA even showed off a new supersonic plane called the X-59 in January.

But making these fast flights available for everyone isn't easy or cheap. Bruce Mamont, who knows a lot about planes and teaches at Northeastern University in Seattle, isn't sure it will work out. According to Tech Xplore, he says the main problem is that when planes go super fast, they face a lot of air resistance, or drag. This means they need a lot of fuel, which costs a lot of money. Plus, making the planes bigger to fit more people would make it even harder for airports to handle them.

There are also worries about how these fast flights could harm the environment. Even though companies like Boom say they will use fuels that don't hurt the planet as much, these fuels are still more expensive. And since supersonic flights use a lot of fuel to go so fast, it could end up costing a lot of money and still harming the environment.

Supersonic Flights Closer to Reality with Boom Supersonic's Test

Boom Supersonic, a company focused on making fast supersonic flights a choice for travelers, has hit a big goal. Their prototype plane, XB-1, flew for the first time in Mojave, California. This event, happening on March 22, is a step towards making their bigger plane, Overture, which will carry passengers faster than sound.

The XB-1 flew up to 7,120 feet and reached a speed of 273 mph, powered by three engines. As shared by Popular Science, while this is slower than the speed needed for supersonic flights, the main aim was to test new technologies and materials, like the plane's carbon fiber body and a special cockpit vision system.

Boom Supersonic has been working on this since 2014, aiming to bring back supersonic flights with the Overture plane. This future plane could fly 64-80 people at speeds twice as fast as today's planes. But, getting the XB-1 to fly took longer than expected, showing how hard it is to make supersonic flights happen again.

Despite the challenges, the company has big plans. They hope to have the Overture ready by 2029, and they already have orders from big airlines. They even got $60 million from the US Air Force, showing both the military and airlines are excited about the return of supersonic flights.