In recent years, the world of air transport has seen the alternation of many proposals. Among all, the idea of the new hybrid aircraft of Space Transportation seems to be one of the most shocking.
The Chinese aerospace company has recently announced the construction of a one-of-a-kind structure: half rocket and half plane, equipped with thrusters suitable for high-speed travel. The goal is to create an innovative aircraft that combines the advantages of propulsion and the convenience of air travel.
Space Transportation aims to use it to halve (if not reduce even more) flight times between Beijing and New York. Indeed, the entire journey could take just an hour, without affecting the flight experience. The company's project is to test the aircraft on city-to-city transport, and then use it in future space tourism.
How the new hybrid aircraft works
On the company's website, it is possible to have a preview of what will happen at the beginning of the journey. Upon takeoff, the aircraft 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 manned flight in 2025.
"We are developing a winged rocket for high-speed point-to-point transport, which is cheaper than rockets that carry satellites and faster than traditional aircraft."
As crazy and innovative as the project may seem, it is 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 aircraft of Space Transportation is it destined to materialize? We will discover them only during the year, preparing for the revolution.
