US Air Force to test hypersonic aircraft

The U.S. Air Force and several venture capital firms are making a $60 million investment in Hermeus Corporation. This Georgia-based startup wants to develop the world’s first reusable hypersonic aircraft, Report informs, citing Lenta.ru.

“Ultimately, we want to have options within the commercial aircraft marketplace for platforms that can be modified for enduring Air Force missions such as senior leader transport, as well as mobility, [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance], and possibly other mission sets,” said Brig. Gen. Jason Lindsey, the service’s program executive officer for presidential and executive airlift.

The end goal: a passenger aircraft that can fly more than five times the speed of sound, capable of traveling from New York to Paris in 90 minutes instead of the seven hours it takes most commercial airliners today.