The hydrogen-powered device is a hybrid of a plane and a rocket, making air transport both more sustainable and faster.
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.
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.
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.