Who among us wouldn't want to jump on a plane and reach 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 goal of carrying out the first tests within two years, in 2025. Destinus will contribute to the design and iteration of an experimental plant 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 that 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 that is three times more energy efficient than that currently used in aircraft.
The "hypersonic" dreams of green hydrogen
A sector which, forgive 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 carrying 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 fueled by liquid hydrogen already set in France for next year.
Martina Lofqvist, Senior Business Development Manager at Destinus, says she believes the more companies join the hypersonic civilian aircraft and green hydrogen sector, the better. How to blame her? Just two years after its foundation, this startup has already raised 40 million euros and partnerships 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 moves at the pace of an elephant. If all goes as it should, the world will be increasingly interconnected.
