The company did not say exactly what speed the vehicle accelerated to, but said it was close to Mach 5. Stratolaunch was founded in 2011 by Microsoft co-founders Paul Allen and Burt Rutan to provide customers with a service for high-speed testing of aircraft. To this end, the company built the Roc cargo plane in partnership with Scaled Composites, which is known for its huge size: the plane is 117 metres wide, equipped with six Boeing 747 engines and has a carrying capacity of 226 796 kg. The twin-aisle aircraft is the largest wingspan aircraft currently in service and has already taken off 14 times in various tests.
06
Apr
Apr
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been working diligently for years on the development of the country’s first reusable space shuttle, with an ambitious launch goal set within this decade. The Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) serves as a scaled-down prototype designed to facilitate the development and testing of this groundbreaking technology.
11
Feb
Feb
The hydrogen-powered device is a hybrid of a plane and a rocket, making air transport both more sustainable and faster.
08
Jan
Jan
Not much is known about the concept at the moment, but it is more than likely that the Mach 5+ machine will be used not only for space industry, but also for military purposes. Guy Norris, editor-in-chief of Aviation Week, caught a model of Boeing’s all-new hypersonic aircraft at the AIAA SciTech show in San Diego recently.
12
Nov
Nov
But the design company Hermeus is still building its first unmanned combat aircraft, the first prototype of which was unveiled last week. Hermeus is planning to create the world’s fastest reusable hypersonic aircraft, intended for military use and passenger transport. The unique propulsion system of the Quarterhorse means that it will not need to be lifted into the air by a carrier aircraft, as is the case with NASA’s aircraft.
01
Nov
Nov
The Canadian company’s plane is indeed called Sexbomb and could be in the skies as early as 2022 to test a prototype engine for space shuttles. Canada’s Space Engine Systems (SES) is taking the plunge into space tourism and has ideas for other uses of hypersonic flight, according to a press release.