Soon, you may travel from London to New York in less than 90 minutes

NASA is developing a supersonic aircraft that will outpace the speed of sound and achieve nearly double the speed of Concorde— a supersonic airliner that can fly faster than the speed of sound.

Such supersonic aircraft would reportedly enable flights between New York and London in less than one and a half hours.

Currently, flights to New York take around eight to nine hours, but NASA's breakthrough promises significantly swifter travel times.

London to New York in less than 90 minutes: What does it mean?

The potential journey times could be up to four times quicker than the current duration for flights between New York City and London.

In theory, this supersonic aircraft could attain speeds ranging from 1,535 to 3,045 miles per hour at sea level, a substantial leap from the approximately 600 mph speed of conventional commercial aeroplanes.

Does NASA have any commercial partners in the programme?

Yes.

Major aviation companies like Boeing, Rolls-Royce, and GE Aerospace are partnering with NASA to design concept vehicles that are not restricted by proprietary constraints.

The new aircraft models are anticipated to achieve speeds between Mach 2 and Mach 4, surpassing contemporary planes that operate at around 80 per cent of the speed of sound.

The Concorde, known for its top cruising speed of 1,354 mph or Mach 2.04, once completed its fastest transatlantic journey in 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds on February 7, 1996, flying from New York to London.

Is there a demand for such high-speed flights?

NASA's research indicates a demand for high-speed flights, yet supersonic flight bans over land in the US and other countries would confine these aircraft to overwater routes, including popular North Atlantic and Pacific paths.

NASA's Quesst mission seeks to overcome this obstacle with its X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft, aiming to establish supersonic travel over land.

Also watch |Gravitas: Nasa set to test its first supersonic commercial flight

The latest studies aim to update technological roadmaps and recognise additional research requirements for a broader range of high speeds.

NASA's Advanced Air Vehicles Program (AAVP) is advancing to the next phase of high-speed travel exploration, recently awarding two 12-month contracts to firms for design and roadmap development.

These roadmaps will delve into air travel possibilities, delineate risks and challenges, and pinpoint necessary technologies to realize travel at Mach 2 and beyond.

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