Virgin Galactic plant die Entwicklung eines Überschalljets. Wie das Unternehmen von Richard Branson in einer Mitteilung bekannt gab soll das Flugzeug Mach 3 (ca. 3.700 km/h) bei einer Reiseflughöhe von 60.000 Fuß (ca. 18,3 km) erreichen können und 9 bis 19 Passagieren Platz geben. Die Triebwerke sollen in Zusammenarbeit mit Rolls-Royce entwickelt werden.
“We are excited to complete the Mission Concept Review and unveil this initial design concept of a high speed aircraft, which we envision as blending safe and reliable commercial travel with an unrivalled customer experience. We are pleased to collaborate with the innovative team at Rolls-Royce as we strive to develop sustainable, cutting-edge propulsion systems for the aircraft, and we are pleased to be working with the FAA to ensure our designs can make a practical impact from the start. We have made great progress so far, and we look forward to opening up a new frontier in high speed travel.” [George Whitesides, Chief Space Officer Virgin Galactic]
Quelle: Virgin Galactic