Japan's aerospace agency has successfully tested a hypersonic passenger jet that could travel at Mach 5, more than double the speed of the Concorde. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) conducted the test at its Kakuda Space Center in Miyagi Prefecture, simulating flight conditions at five times the speed of sound.
The trial validated the aircraft's thermal protection system, control surfaces, and ramjet combustion performance under extreme conditions, where temperatures can reach nearly 1,000°C. The next phase may involve a real-world Mach 5 flight demonstration using a sounding rocket.
If operational, the jet could cut flight time from Tokyo to the US to just two hours, compared to the current half-day journey. It would fly at altitudes of around 17 miles, more than double that of conventional aircraft, and at speeds of about 3,300 mph.
However, commercial service remains decades away. Hideyuki Taguchi, a professor at Tokyo University of Science, estimates development could take about 20 years, involving two stages of demonstration. Tetsuya Sato of Waseda University called the test 'only a first step' towards a flight demonstration.
JAXA is not alone in the race for ultra-fast travel. NASA's X-59 and Boom Supersonic's XB-1 have also achieved test flight milestones recently.
