Europe to Australia in 90 Minutes

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Hypersonic 'SpaceLiner' Aims to Fly Passengers in 2050

A hypersonic "SpaceLiner" would whisk up to 50 passengers from Europe to Australia in 90 minutes. The futuristic vehicle would do so by riding a rocket into Earth's upper atmosphere, reaching 24 times the speed of sound before gliding in for a landing.

Many challenges still remain, including finding the right shape for the vehicle, said Martin Sippel, project coordinator for SpaceLiner at the German Aerospace Center. But he suggested the project could make enough progress to begin attracting private funding in another 10 years and aim for full operations by 2050.

Read more...

[psyche101]

I wonder if the new Skylon concept might offer engine technology that can improve upon the solid fuel boosters.

[stevewinn]

that would be brilliant. i'd poo myself going on the thing tho.....

[Shayde]

Sounds very interesting. Mark you, it may take only 90 minutes to get from start to finish, but it hasn't factored in the delay in boarding due to queues, technical faults, and then there's weather issues, like fog, or you lose your bags, or they lose you....

[chopmo]

So a mass human missile? oh **** just what we need. Just when Iran starts space programs.

But im kidding im kidding.

Still don't like the idea of basically following a missile point trajectory to get to another country... too easy for *ahummm* "pilot errors" to occur over nations that are struggling to get into the big bull pen.

You would also need a new defence sector and laws for the stratasphere as no country owns it and would be technically lawless whilst above normal flight capacities. So the actually chances of this being a "public" utilised transport are slim to ****all. Unless you see the U.N take on more power when it comes to be "joined leaders of the world" and maybe take control of the skies :S but everything at that point just seems dismal and factory line situationed.

Always nice to see someone trying to increase our technology capabilities though.

[dannyboy52]

Probably be 100,000 dollars/pounds round trip??? Not for the masses when it happens

[DONTEATUS]

that would be brilliant. i'd poo myself going on the thing tho.....

Mate I`ll buy us both a ticket when the day comes to Ride like this !

[Sean93]

By then I shall be...56. Cool, I may get to see this in action. I read similar articles of a flying hotel/aircraft that consists of multiple floors, has football fields and tennis courts in it and is see through on the floors.

Philip K. Dick where art thou?

[Waspie_Dwarf]

SpaceLiner - to Australia in 90 minutes at hypersonic speed

The revolutionary SpaceLiner concept offers a unique vision for a high-speed passenger transportation system of the future by seamlessly spanning the boundaries between aviation and spaceflight. Currently under design at the German Aerospace Center, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), the ultra-fast hypersonic spaceplane is designed to transport 50 passengers from Australia to Europe in an unprecedented 90 minutes.

More information: http://www.dlr.de/blogs/en/DesktopDef...

UPDATE: Martin Sippel is working for the "Institute of Space Systems": http://www.dlr.de/irs/en/desktopdefau...

Source: DLR - YouTube Channel