Christine Thropp
NASA and aircraft manufacturer Aerion Supersonic have announced a research and development partnership aimed at assessing the parametric suitability of propulsion and thermal management systems to support the development of a next generation of ultra-high-speed aircraft for commercial use.
The agency said Thursday the collaboration under its Hypersonic Technology Project will focus on exploring commercial air transport in the Mach 3 and above speed to enhance how civilians travel in the future using potential high-Mach aircraft.
The program at NASA’s Langley Research Center will be overseen by the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, which aims to improve efficiency of commercial air transport and lessen its environmental impact through next generation concepts, capabilities and technologies.
"This partnership will enable the development of technologies that will help realize ultra-high-speed point-to-point global mobility solutions in the Mach 3-5 range," said Tom Vice, chairman, president and CEO of Aerion.
The joint study is the third Space Act Agreement between the company and NASA.
