In recent years, the world of air transport has seen the alternation of many proposals. Among all, the idea of the new hybrid aircraft Space Transportation seems to be one of the most shocking.
The Chinese aerospace company recently announced the construction of a one-of-a-kind structure: half rocket and half plane, equipped with engines suitable for high-speed travel. The goal is to create an innovative aircraft, which combines the advantages of propulsion and the convenience of air transport.
Space Transportation aims to use it to halve (if not further reduce) flight times between Beijing and New York. In fact, the entire trip could last just an hour, without affecting the flying experience. The company's plan is to test the plane on city-to-city transport, and then use it in future space tourism.
How the new hybrid aircraft works
On the company website, it is possible to have a preview of what will happen at the beginning of the trip. Upon takeoff, the plane will detach from the wing, while the boosters will return directly to the launch site.
A series of launch tests are planned for early next year, followed by a crewed flight in 2025.
“We are developing a winged rocket for high-speed point-to-point transportation, which is lower in cost than rockets carrying satellites and faster than traditional aircraft.”
As crazy and innovative as the project may seem, it's not the only one.
One example is the VSS Unity spacecraft of Virgin Galactic , which last year successfully conducted a manned suborbital flight with founder Richard Branson. In a very similar way, society SpaceX had introduced a hybrid aircraft design in 2017 to use its Starship rockets as city-to-city passenger aircraft, despite nothing ever being materialized.
The idea of the hybrid airplane by Space Transportation Is it destined to materialize? We will discover them only during the year, preparing for the revolution.
