Parabolic Arc by Doug Messier October 19, 2020
Boom Supersonic’s recent rollout of its XB-1 supersonic demonstrator aircraft marked a milestone in an accelerating race to revive an era of civilian supersonic travel that ended when the Concorde jetliner was retired in 2003.
XB-1, aka Baby Boom, is set to begin flight tests next year from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. The Mach 2.2 (2,717 km/h, 1,688 mph) vehicle is the precursor to Boom’s 55-seat Overture airliner, which is scheduled to begin carrying passengers in 2029.
Boom’s roll out of the XB-1 came two months after Virgin Galactic unveiled plans for a Mach 3 (3,704 km/h, 2,302 mph) business jet capable of carrying up to 19 passengers.
At least six companies and one government are working on high-speed aircraft that would carry between 9 and 100 passengers at speeds ranging from Mach 1.4 (1,729 km/h, 1,074 mph) to above Mach 5 (6,174 km/h, 3,836 mph). SpaceX plans to use its Starship rocket to zip passengers and cargo between distant locations on Earth at Mach 20.
Supersonic & Hypersonic Vehicle Programs
Company/Agency Vehicle Passengers Mach First Flight
Aerion AS2 12 1.4 2024
Spike Aerospace S-512 12-18 1.6 TBA
Virgin Galactic TBA 9-19 3.0 TBA
Boom Supersonic XB-1* 0 2.2 2021
Boom Supersonic Overture 55 2.2 2025
ExoSonic TBA 70 1.8 TBA
Hermeus TBA TBA 5+ TBA
SpaceX Starship TBA 20.0 2020
NASA — Lockheed X-59 QueSST* 0 1.42 2022
Martin
JAXA TBA 100 5.0 TBA
More:
http://parabolicarc.com/2020/10/19/supersonic-hypersonic-civilian-transport-projects-in-development/
