Tuesday morning at Mojave Air & Space Port in California, almost 80 years after U.S. Air Force ace Chuck Yeager first eclipsed the sound barrier in a Bell X-1, an independently built jet reached supersonic speeds for the first time.
Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 “Baby Boom,” a demonstrator designed as a prelude to Overture—the company’s concept for a supersonic airliner capable of flying anywhere in the world in four hours, for just $100—hit Mach 1.1, or about 750 mph, during its 12th test flight. The feat marks a historic moment for civil aviation, which until now has leaned on outside help to develop supersonic aircraft.
