A Japanese organization is developing a hypersonic aircraft that could reach speeds two and a half times faster than the Concorde. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) recently conducted a successful test at their Kakuda Space Center in Miyagi Prefecture, simulating flight conditions at Mach 5, which is five times the speed of sound.
The test confirmed the effectiveness of the aircraft’s thermal protection system, control surfaces, and ramjet combustion performance under extreme hypersonic conditions. Future plans may involve mounting the experimental aircraft onto a sounding rocket for a real-world Mach 5 flight demonstration.
This initiative is part of a global effort to create ultra-high-speed transportation systems. If successful, the JAXA aircraft could reduce the travel time from Tokyo to the US to just two hours by flying at high altitudes of around 17 miles, surpassing conventional aircraft speeds by six times.
While the Concorde reached speeds up to Mach 2 with a maximum recorded speed of 1,400mph, the new hypersonic aircraft’s capabilities are far superior. However, it will likely be many years before the aircraft becomes operational for passenger flights.
Experts estimate that the development of a hypersonic passenger aircraft could take around 20 years, considering the necessary stages of demonstration. JAXA is just one of many organizations worldwide working on commercial super or hypersonic aircraft, with recent milestones achieved by NASA’s X-59 and Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 test flights.
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