A prototype of a passenger jet, developed by Boom Supersonic on Tuesday broke the sound barrier for the first time above the Mojave Desert in California. This achievement marks a significant step in Boom’s mission to revive high-speed air travel, 22 years after the retirement of the Concorde.
Why It Matters: A New Era for Air Travel
Breaking the Mach 1 speed threshold, which is equivalent to 770 miles per hour, is a crucial milestone for Boom Supersonic, a startup based in Denver. The company is aiming to reintroduce supersonic passenger flights, a bold move that also seeks to reassert American leadership in aviation, an industry that is increasingly seen as essential for global technological supremacy in areas like artificial intelligence and space exploration.
According to Boom’s CEO Blake Scholl, the achievement is not just about speed but also about positioning the U.S. at the forefront of cutting-edge aviation. “We’re not just building a supersonic plane; we’re setting the stage for American dominance in aviation once again,” Scholl told Axios.
Boom Supersonic has become the first independent company to design, build, and successfully fly a supersonic aircraft, unlike the Concorde, which was a joint venture between the French and UK governments.
Boom Supersonic Historic Flight in Legendary Airspace
The supersonic flight took place in the same airspace near Edwards Air Force Base where aviation legend Chuck Yeager famously broke the sound barrier in 1947. Boom’s Chief Test Pilot, Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg, was at the controls of the XB-1 demonstrator plane as it entered the supersonic corridor. The aircraft reached an altitude of 35,290 feet before accelerating to Mach 1.1 (equivalent to 652 knots or 750 miles per hour).
The flight was streamed live, with Mike Bannister, former chief Concorde pilot for British Airways, narrating the event alongside two Boom engineers. “This is aviation’s Falcon 1 moment,” said Blake Scholl, referring to SpaceX’s first rocket launch in 2008, which marked the world’s first privately developed launch vehicle to reach orbit.
Boom Supersonic XB-1 Prototype: A Preview of the Future
The XB-1 prototype, named after the Bell X-1 aircraft piloted by Yeager, is one-third the size of Boom’s planned Overture passenger jet. Like the Overture, the XB-1 is made from lightweight carbon fiber materials and features an augmented reality vision system to help pilots see over the plane’s long nose during high-angle takeoffs and landings. The Overture, once completed, is expected to carry up to 80 passengers at speeds of Mach 1.7—roughly twice the speed of today’s airliners.
Boom claims that such speeds could drastically reduce travel times. For instance, a flight from Washington, D.C., to Paris could take just four hours, and a journey from San Francisco to Tokyo could be completed in six hours. Additionally, the Overture is designed to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is made from renewable sources like household waste, algae, and used cooking oil. While SAF offers significantly lower carbon emissions than traditional jet fuel, its production is currently limited, meaning the environmental benefits will take time to fully materialize.
Boom’s Manufacturing Future and Growth
Boom Supersonic is ramping up its operations with the recent completion of a factory at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina. This facility could employ up to 2,400 people by the early 2030s and, at full capacity, has the potential to produce up to 66 planes per year. The plane’s engines will be manufactured in San Antonio, Texas.
Boom has already secured 130 orders and pre-orders from major airlines, including American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. With a five-year production pipeline in place, Boom expects to begin commercial service by 2029.
Challenges Ahead for Supersonic Travel
While the potential for supersonic flight to revolutionize commercial air travel is immense, numerous technical and business challenges remain. The Concorde, which flew from 1976 to 2003, was able to complete international routes such as New York to London in under three hours but failed to achieve profitability. Similarly, Boeing-backed Aerion shut down its supersonic project in 2021 due to a lack of capital.
Boom Supersonic faces stiff competition from other ventures in the aviation industry, including Hermeus, which is developing hypersonic aircraft for defense purposes.
Funding and Future Outlook
In December, Boom Supersonic raised $100 million in funding from a group of tech investors, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman and LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman. This investment, however, came at a lower valuation. To date, Boom has raised nearly $600 million from investors and has secured an additional $250 million from the U.S. Air Force, airline deposits, and local incentives in North Carolina.
Despite this progress, Boom will need significantly more capital to fully realize its vision. A company spokeswoman emphasized that the supersonic program remains a multibillion-dollar undertaking, and Boom’s milestone-based fundraising approach will be key to its success.
“We need to prove that Boom as a team can execute this plan successfully,” Scholl said. “Today’s flight is a crucial proof point that we are on the right track.”
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