[Reading Science] 'New York-London 2 Hours' Supersonic Passenger Plane Coming Soon

US NASA Launches Conceptual Aircraft-Technology Roadmap Study
"Capable of Operating on 50 Routes Worldwide, Low-Noise Technology is Key"

A supersonic passenger plane capable of traveling between New York, USA, and London, UK within two to three hours is expected to be commercialized again soon.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on the 22nd (local time) that it will begin full-scale research on aircraft development and a technology roadmap to commercialize supersonic passenger planes flying at speeds of Mach 2 to Mach 4 (1,535 to 3,045 miles per hour).

Based on preliminary research, NASA concluded that supersonic passenger planes could be introduced on about 50 city-pair routes worldwide. At speeds of Mach 2 to 4, the New York-London route, which currently takes around 10 hours, could be completed in under 4 hours. This is much faster than current passenger planes that travel at about 600 miles per hour, roughly 80% of the speed of sound. Currently, supersonic passenger flights have been banned over land by many countries, including the United States, since the 1960s. The Concorde, jointly developed by the UK and France, operated as an irregular charter flight between New York and London from 1976 until the route was closed in 2003.

NASA is already testing a prototype aircraft called the X-59 to revive supersonic passenger travel. The aircraft is designed to minimize shock waves (sonic booms) generated during flight. Test flights are being conducted across various regions in the US to measure noise impact. NASA plans to develop this further to create a low-noise supersonic aircraft capable of flying over land.

Lori Ozoroski, NASA's Commercial Supersonic Technology Project Manager, said, "Over the past decade, we have conducted similar conceptual research on flights at speeds of Mach 1.6 to 1.8," adding, "These results will provide a new perspective on the technology roadmap for supersonic passenger planes and offer the necessary information to determine the commercialization of faster high-speed flights."

NASA plans to accelerate the development of supersonic passenger planes. It has signed two separate one-year contracts with two private-sector consortia to develop supersonic passenger plane design concepts and finalize the technology roadmap. A key challenge is whether it is possible to develop a low-noise aircraft capable of operating at speeds above Mach 2. First, there is the Boeing consortium, which includes Exosonic, GE Aerospace, the Georgia Tech Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory, and Rolls-Royce North America. Another consortium led by Northrop Grumman includes Blue Ridge R&C, Boom Supersonic, and Rolls-Royce North America. These consortia are developing aircraft frames, power, propulsion, thermal management systems, and key materials capable of withstanding supersonic speeds, and they will also design shared concept aircraft.

Marie Jo Long-Davis, NASA Supersonic Technology Project Manager, said, "The design concepts and technology roadmaps completed by these companies will be very important," adding, "It is necessary to consider safety, efficiency, economy, and social factors, and it will be crucial to pursue responsible innovation that is environmentally friendly and benefits travelers."