Aerion and NASA Partner for Supersonic Flight Development

Aerion and NASA Collaborate on Supersonic Flight

For almost ten years, Aerion has been dedicated to pioneering a new generation of commercial supersonic flight. Recently, the company announced a new partnership with NASA to leverage its accumulated expertise.

This collaboration aims to advance supersonic point-to-point travel – utilizing the high-speed capabilities traditionally linked to space launches for rapid terrestrial transportation.

Space Act Agreement Details

The partnership is formalized through a Space Act Agreement. This allows NASA to engage private sector companies in achieving its objectives.

NASA has been actively developing advanced, high-Mach supersonic aircraft technologies. A key project is the X-59 QueSST demonstrator, developed with Lockheed Martin.

The X-59 QueSST is designed to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight. It incorporates “low-boom” technology to mitigate the disruptive sonic booms typically associated with breaking the sound barrier.

Expanding NASA’s Partnerships

Last year, NASA established a similar partnership with Virgin Galactic. The focus there is on developing technologies for sustainable commercial supersonic flight.

Aerion’s collaboration with NASA will concentrate on analyzing commercial flight potential at speeds between Mach 3 and Mach 5.

Specific areas of study include propulsion systems, thermal management, power generation, and technologies for passenger and crew comfort.

Aerion’s Current Projects

Aerion anticipates commencing production of its AS2 private jet for business clients in 2023.

Following the AS2, the company plans to introduce the AS3, a commercial supersonic passenger aircraft.

A History of Collaboration

This isn’t the first time Aerion and NASA have worked together. The two organizations have previously collaborated on similar projects, starting in 2012.

With Aerion nearing production, both partners are poised to make significant progress toward their shared goal: establishing commercially viable and sustainable supersonic passenger flight technologies within the U.S.