Suborbital Flights That Can Take You Anywhere On Earth Within 2 Hours Soon – News18

The world’s first supersonic commercial aircraft, Concorde, remains unforgettable. With a speed twice that of sound, it could whisk passengers from New York to London in less than 3 hours, reaching an impressive speed of 2,172 kilometres per hour. However, the soaring maintenance costs made it increasingly challenging to operationalise. Unfortunately, an infamous accident in 2000 led to the suspension of its operations.

Now, after nearly 20 years, a new era emerges as Concorde’s successor is on the horizon. NASA’s X-59 ‘Son of Concorde’ is all set for its test flight. Furthermore, British aviation experts are envisioning a revolutionary aircraft capable of reaching any destination in the world in less than 2 hours, promising astonishing speed and efficiency.

Comparatively smaller and slower than Concorde, the X-59 boasts a speed of approximately 1,500 kilometres per hour, promising to reduce the travel time from New York to London by approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes. However, according to a report by Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), groundbreaking experiments are underway, set to significantly enhance travel speed. These developments may enable travellers to reach destinations like Sydney from London in less than 2 hours, a substantial improvement over the current 22-hour journey. These revolutionary flights are currently referred to as suborbital flights by experts.

In essence, suborbital flights resemble the rockets employed by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic jet program. Operating at an astounding speed of 3500 miles, equivalent to 5632 kilometres per hour, these flights offer incredible time-saving opportunities.

For instance, one could travel from New York to Shanghai in just 39 minutes, drastically reducing the current 15-hour journey. Similarly, a trip from New York to London could be accomplished in less than an hour. Moreover, it is speculated that suborbital flights have the potential to reach any location on Earth within a mere 2 hours.

As per a New York Post report, Elon Musk and other entrepreneurs are directing their efforts towards supersonic flights in advance of space tourism. Back in 2020, SpaceX unveiled its plans for the Starship rocket, intended to transport 100 passengers between continents in under an hour.

Meanwhile, a Chinese company recently announced the testing of its winged rocket. The inaugural crewed flight is scheduled for the following year in 2024. Notably, the Tianxing I spacecraft, launched in 2018, is capable of travelling approximately 4,300 miles in just about an hour.