Chinese aerospace company Space Transportation is making strides in the development of a groundbreaking hybrid aircraft and winged rocket system, with plans to eventually open up the world of space tourism. In addition to its space tourism ambitions, this innovative aircraft is set to become a supersonic business jet capable of connecting any two points on Earth in record time, potentially reducing travel between major cities to just one hour, as reported by Space.com.
A CGI presentation available on Space Transportation’s website offers a glimpse of passengers boarding an aircraft fused with a glider wing and two rocket boosters. Following takeoff, the airplane detaches from the wing and ascends into suborbital space. Meanwhile, the wing and boosters return to the launch pad, while the aircraft continues its journey, landing vertically at its destination.
According to a spokesperson from the company, this winged rocket system is expected to have lower operational costs compared to traditional rockets used for satellite launches, and it promises to be faster than conventional aircraft. This concept bears some resemblance to SpaceX’s “earth to earth” idea, introduced back in 2017, which was originally conceived for interplanetary travel but repurposed for city-to-city passenger transport using Starship rockets. However, SpaceX has been tight-lipped about the concept since its initial announcement.
Last summer, Virgin Galactic made headlines by sending CEO Sir Richard Branson on an 11-minute suborbital flight, marking the official launch of space tourism for the general public. A Virgin Galactic executive also mentioned that while space tourism would be the company’s initial focus, they envisioned a future where fixed-wing aircraft would serve as supersonic commuter options.
Space Transportation reported in August that it had secured $46.3 million in funding for its supersonic spaceplane, which is projected to achieve speeds of around 2,600 mph. The company also hinted at successful test flights of its rockets, known as Tiangxing 1 and Tiangxing 2, although specific details about these tests remain undisclosed.
The ambitious timeline for Space Transportation involves conducting ground tests by 2023 and initiating the first test flight in 2024. If development proceeds as planned, the company aims to carry out a crewed test flight by 2025, marking another significant step toward the future of space tourism and high-speed air travel.
