Currently, it takes about 18 hours to get from Beijing to New York. China intends to reduce this time to just one hour. And to achieve this, it is counting on this winged rocket currently under development, which will also be able to accommodate space tourism.
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Less expensive than satellite launchers and faster than an aircraft
The Chinese aerospace company Space Transportation says it will be possible to link the two megacities in less than 60 minutes. 'We are developing a winged rocket for high-speed transportation from point A to point B, which will be cheaper than satellite launchers and faster than a traditional aircraft,' said a company spokesman in an article published by Yicheng Times. Two rocket boosters are expected to enable the plane and the glider wing attached to it to take off.
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An incredible 4000 km/h
Once launched into the air, the wing and thrusters will detach, leaving the plane to fly alone. The thrusters and wing will land on a ramp on the ground, with the plane continuing at over 4000 km/h to its destination, before landing vertically.
The company has already carried out tests of flights to the space frontier in the past and would like to take this step as early as 2030. The rocket will be scheduled for ground testing by 2023, followed by the first flight in 2024, and finally with passengers in 2025.
