There’s a fleet of 2,000 brand new business jets in the works that can travel faster than the speed of sound. NASA managed a 247.5 million dollar contract with Lockheed Martin in an effort to make these sci-fi jets become a reality. NASA is currently testing a “quiet” supersonic boom over Texas, but apparently it hasn’t stopped an uproar across multiple countries.
Here are the main worries. First, the fuel emissions from supersonic jets will be a large contribution to global climate change, and environmentalists are not on board. Europe especially has implemented strict fuel efficiency standards, and if the jets are emitting more fossil fuels into the environment then it most certainly won’t pass regulated emissions tests.
Next, there are strict noise standards that these jets cannot break which is why NASA is testing for softer sonic booms in the future. The goal is to get these jets out within the next decade, so there’s going to be a lot of scientific work going into this process. Some might say it’s impossible, but so was walking on the moon at one point.
Regardless of the outcome, these passenger jets will be reserved for the wealthiest of travelers. The rest of us will be stuck with the same annoying airport process we’ve come to know and hate.
