A Texas start-up aims to revolutionize aviation with a new supersonic plane: Venus Aerospace, founded by former employees of the space company Virgin Orbit, aims to make “Stargazer” jet travel possible in a decade at Mach 9 – nine times the speed of sound exceeds 11,100 kilometers per hour.
At this infernal speed, a journey across the Pacific would not take eleven hours, but only one hour, calculates the business magazine “Bloomberg”, which spoke to the founders. Sassie and Andrew Duggleby previously worked at aerospace company Virgin Orbit. Missing a grandmother’s birthday party sparked her dream of designing a new supersonic plane.
Chief engineer: “This time it will work”
Andrew Duggleby knows that his dream of a Mach 9 plane is still in the pipeline. The chief engineer: “Every few decades people try it. This time it will work.” The reason for his confidence are specially developed engines that not only do not emit CO2, but are also said to work much more efficiently than previous models.
The team of 15, led by the Dugglebys, has been working on the supersonic plane in Houston since 2020 and a supersonic drone is also in development. About $34 million was made available by investors. The chief engineer hopes to take off on the “Stargazer” jet in ten years’ time. For now, the aircraft exists – see video – but only as a concept.
No civilian supersonic travel since the end of Concorde
Civil travel at supersonic speeds has not been possible since the fall of 2003. At that time, the only supersonic passenger aircraft – the Franco-British Concorde, reaching Mach 2.2 – was withdrawn from service.
Three years earlier, a tragic accident had happened in Paris: a tire burst on take-off and debris flying through the air caused a leak in the kerosene tank on the left wing. The plane caught fire and crashed. All 109 passengers and four people on the ground died.
In the 1960s, the Soviet Union also developed a supersonic passenger aircraft, the Tupolev Tu-144. However, it was only used as an aircraft for a short time: in 1973 it crashed at an air show in Paris, where the Concorde was also presented. After several more incidents – emergency landings, crashes with a total loss – the Tu-144 program was canceled.
United Airlines Ordered 15 “Overture” Supersonic Jets
Since the end of Concorde, smaller startup companies with plans for supersonic passenger jets have repeatedly made a name for themselves – such as Boom Supersonic, where the “Overture” plane is currently being developed, which is scheduled to enter scheduled service from 2029. travels at 1.7 times the speed of sound – almost as fast as the Concorde once did. The American airline United has reserved 15 copies.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
