The airplane of the future: 20,000 km/h for a world tour in 2 hours

China is developing a revolutionary engine capable of propelling an aircraft at speeds never achieved before in the future.

Traveling around the globe in two hours could soon become a reality. Thanks to an innovative hypersonic engine, China is pushing the boundaries of air transportation. This system, utilizing rotary then oblique detonation, could surpass Mach 7 (more than 8,000 km/h) to reach dizzying speeds of 20,000 km/h. These advances promise intercontinental flights reduced to just a few hours.

Impacts on Travel and the Economy

Such technology would transform international travel. Routes like Paris-Tokyo, which currently take over 10 hours, could be completed in just one or two hours. These rapid flights would facilitate economic, cultural, and tourism exchanges, making the world more connected than ever.

However, this innovation also has concerning military implications. Planes or missiles capable of evading current defenses would intensify tensions between major powers. The hypersonic arms race between China, the United States, and Russia is already underway.

On a technical level, materials capable of withstanding extreme temperatures are necessary to make this technology viable. Moreover, its environmental impact, particularly on the atmosphere, raises many questions.

Balancing Progress and Responsibility

For this revolution to benefit everyone, international collaboration will be essential. Technical, geopolitical, and ecological challenges must be carefully managed. This breakthrough could mark the beginning of a new era, but it requires responsible and ethical use to prevent abuses.

Thus, the future of air transport will depend on our ability to handle state-of-the-art technologies capable of bringing out the best as well as the worst. The best in facilitating and speeding up intercontinental travel, the worst in waging war through increasingly sophisticated means.

Read also: Will the E9X, a futuristic electric airplane, take off someday?