Who among us wouldn't want to jump on a plane and get to the other side of the world in just 4 hours? destiny, a Swiss startup, is working to make this dream a reality with its ambitious green hydrogen-powered hypersonic aircraft project.
The hand of the Spanish government
The first step towards the realization of this dream is the recent collaboration with the Spanish Government's Ministry of Science to promote the use of hydrogen in aviation. The partnership focuses on the research and development of hydrogen-powered aircraft engines, with the aim of carrying out the first tests within two years, in 2025. Destinus will contribute to the design and iteration of an experimental facility near Madrid, with a first loan of 12 million euros.
As mentioned, Destinus aims to develop hypersonic aircraft for civil aviation, capable of flying at speeds five times greater than the speed of sound (Mach 5). A journey from Sydney to Frankfurt, 16500 kilometres, would take just 4 hours and 15 minutes. From Rome to New York in less than 2 hours. Crazy. The key ingredient? L'green hydrogen, produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen through the use of renewable energy. A fuel three times more energy efficient than that currently used in airplanes.
The “hypersonic” dreams of green hydrogen
A sector that, forgive me for the pun, is flying. Boeing, Boom, Hermes, Venus, Hypersonix are just some of the companies (large or small) pursuing a solution powered by green hydrogen. In early March, Universal Hydrogen Co flew a regional plane with 40 passengers using hydrogen fuel cell propulsion. And Destinus doesn't stand still either. It has already flown not one, but two prototypes (still subsonic for now) with the third flight powered by liquid hydrogen already scheduled for next year in France.
Martina Lofqvist, Senior Business Development Manager at Destinus, says she believes the more companies that join the hypersonic civil aircraft and green hydrogen sector, the better. How can you blame her? Just two years after its foundation, this startup has already raised 40 million euros and collaborations with government and airport authorities in France, Spain and Australia.
For a trip around the world of just 4 hours, we couldn't expect a company that moved at the pace of a pachyderm. If everything goes as it should, the world will be increasingly interconnected.
