A 'Space Plane' That Can Get You Anywhere on Earth in One Hour? Meet the Company Trying to Build It

A ‘Space Plane’ That Can Get You Anywhere on Earth in One Hour? Meet the Company Trying to Build It

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 12:43 PM ET

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[File photo: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Venus Aerospace, co-founded by Andrew Duggleby, is developing hypersonic transport aircraft to enable global travel in approximately one hour, addressing challenges like long transit times and jet lag.
The project relies on three key technological innovations: rotation detonation engines for efficient, high-thrust propulsion; a "waverider" aircraft design for improved lift and reduced drag; and a metal nose for rapid leading-edge cooling and quick aircraft turnarounds.
The aircraft is designed to achieve Mach 9 cruise with gentle acceleration, capable of carrying up to 12 passengers without requiring space suits.
Venus Aerospace aims for a full-scale design by 2025 and test flights by 2030, contingent on investment and ongoing technical development, with airports needing FAA approval as spaceports.

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One of the challenges of the global marketplace is human logistics. If your work takes you to the other side of the world, it is not uncommon to spend more than 10 hours in transit and the better part of a day to adjust to jet lag. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could get there in an hour?

It’s possible, says Andrew Duggleby the co-founder of Venus Aerospace, a company dedicated to hypersonic transport.