Elon Musk has unveiled a revolutionary hypersonic aircraft worth $13 billion, which promises to change the way we travel around the world. Recently, Musk’s SpaceX division announced that it has developed technology that allows hypersonic drones to land at speeds no other nation can match, thereby intensifying competition in global aviation.
The new jet, dubbed Starjet 1, has the ability to fly passengers anywhere on the planet in less than two hours. This breakthrough is part of the “point-to-space” concept, where passengers will board a rocket that will take them beyond the atmosphere, allowing them to travel at speeds of up to Mach 6 – that’s six times the speed of sound. To put this into perspective, a flight from New York to London, which currently takes around seven hours, could be completed in less than one. The engine design, known as a “mutter” (dual-turbine ram ejector engine), combines multiple propulsion systems, allowing the Starjet 1 to operate efficiently and stably at different speeds. This innovative engine is capable of operating at both subsonic and hypersonic speeds, a significant advancement in aviation technology.
The Starjet 1’s cargo capacity of carrying up to ten passengers makes it an ideal choice for high-speed business or leisure travel. Dr. Emily Jang, the project’s lead scientist, said the jet could revolutionize global transportation, opening up new possibilities for scientific research and space exploration.
Despite these advances, however, the development of hypersonic jets faces significant challenges, including high production costs and concerns about noise pollution that could limit their use in certain areas. As competition in hypersonic aviation intensifies, other countries are also investing in similar technologies, suggesting that the future of air transport is constantly evolving.
