The rocket-powered hypersonic plane SpaceLiner, designed by the German Aerospace Center’s Institute of Space Systems, aims to send passengers from Europe to Australia in 90 minutes by 2050
The futuristic vehicle would do so by riding
a rocket into Earth's upper atmosphere, reaching 24 times the speed of
sound before gliding in for a landing.
Many challenges still remain, including finding the right shape for the
vehicle, said Martin Sippel, project coordinator for SpaceLiner at the
German Aerospace Center. But he suggested the project could make enough
progress to begin attracting private funding in another 10 years and aim
for full operations by 2050.
The current concept includes a rocket booster stage for launch and a
separate orbiter stage to carry passengers halfway around the world
without ever making it to space. Flight times between the U.S. and
Europe could fall to just over an hour if the SpaceLiner takes off —
that is, if passengers don't mind paying the equivalent of space tourism prices around several hundred thousand dollars per trip.
Click here for Video: Hypersonic plane to fly from Europe to Australia in 90 minutes - The Globe and Mail
Showing posts with label Hypersonic Aircraft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hypersonic Aircraft. Show all posts
1/26/13
12/14/12
Russia shelves hypersonic aircraft project
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| Russian hypersonic Experimental Aircraft |
According to sources at Rainbow design bureau and the Central Institute of AeroHydroDynamics, the works on the Russian hypersonic experimental aircraft (GELA), which were conducted in Dubna (a town near Moscow) were suspended at least before 2014, KM.ru said.
According to sources, designers failed to resolve a number of technical issues. In particular, the aircraft can not develop hypersonic speed. Officials with the bureau also added that the GELA project had not been relevant for ten years already.
The creation of a hypersonic aircraft is one of the goals, which Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the military and industrial complex, identified as important. In September of this year, Rogozin announced the creation of a "superholding" to build a hypersonic aircraft.
Rogozin has already refuted the rumors about the decision to shelve the project. The deputy prime minister tweeted a rhetorical question: "Think about it - is mankind ready to fly faster, higher and farther because of some technical problems?"
Read more: Russia shelves hypersonic aircraft project - English pravda.ru
1/19/12
Europe's Hypersonic Airline - by Glenn Pew
A project insider for a planned European hypersonic airliner is confident his program could in 2013 demonstrate that technological barriers can be overcome, but current economic conditions may stall the project. The European Space Agency's Lapcat program is working on the A2 aircraft, which aims to carry passengers beyond Mach 5 in long-range flight. Johan Steelant, the program's coordinator, told the BBC that while different systems and subsystems still need to be proven, "critical technology is no longer a blocking point." The blocking point now, it appears, may be the current atmosphere of economic austerity prevalent across Europe. But a large amount of funding has already been allocated.
The project is funded by both the European Commission and private investors, which have together backed Lapcat to the tune of 10 million EUR. With economic forces working against it, ambition and desire are working for it. According to Steelant, the European Commission wants to be an aviation pioneer that leads the world in innovation. As it is, Lapcat's funding is set to run dry in 2013, when the project will be reviewed. It is then that the project's viability will have to be balanced against economic and political realities. The A2 aircraft would be powered by a hybrid engine design. The engine would use a turbojet for takeoff and to accelerate to supersonic speeds. Then a rocket would take the aircraft to Mach 6 or more, running on liquid hydrogen and air. Economic difficulties aside, the A2 is not expected to overcome all the challenges posed by hypersonic passenger flight for decades and is not forecast to fly until 2040.
For more: Europe's Hypersonic Airliner
The project is funded by both the European Commission and private investors, which have together backed Lapcat to the tune of 10 million EUR. With economic forces working against it, ambition and desire are working for it. According to Steelant, the European Commission wants to be an aviation pioneer that leads the world in innovation. As it is, Lapcat's funding is set to run dry in 2013, when the project will be reviewed. It is then that the project's viability will have to be balanced against economic and political realities. The A2 aircraft would be powered by a hybrid engine design. The engine would use a turbojet for takeoff and to accelerate to supersonic speeds. Then a rocket would take the aircraft to Mach 6 or more, running on liquid hydrogen and air. Economic difficulties aside, the A2 is not expected to overcome all the challenges posed by hypersonic passenger flight for decades and is not forecast to fly until 2040.For more: Europe's Hypersonic Airliner
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