The Spaceliner
Production Company: German Aerospace Center
Feature: Sub-Orbital Travel
EST. Cost of Production: $33 Billion*
For those who were distracted in 2021 and missed it, the civilian space race reached new heights in July, but instead of launching into suborbital space for sightseeing, as Jeff Bezos’ “Blue Origin” or Richard Branson’s “Unity 22” do, the German Aerospace Center wants to use suborbital travel to get people to their travel destinations faster. The German-designed Spaceliner will launch vertically into Earth’s suborbit, powered by 11 reusable liquid rocket engines. Once there, the aircraft will enter a high-speed glide, reaching speeds of Mach 20 (15,000 mph) as it descends to its destination. A passenger’s journey from Los Angeles to London will be reduced to less than an hour.
The Spaceliner
Aerion AS2
Production Company: Aerion
Feature: Supersonic Capability
EST. Cost of Production: $120 Million*
Traveling via private aircraft is a luxury that only a small percentage of the world enjoys. However, when production of the Aerion AS2 begins in 2023, private jets as we know them will be forever altered. According to reports, the Aerion AS2, or “Son of Concorde,” will be able to travel 4,200 nautical miles at a speed of Mach 1.4. The AS2’s CO2 emission might be reduced by up to 85% thanks to the supersonic jet’s GE engines and the 100% sustainable aviation fuel it utilizes. Aerion hopes to have its AS2 in service by 2026, and it will be capable of traveling from New York to London in less than 4.5 hours with 8-12 passengers onboard.
Aerion AS2
