The European Space Agency is developing a hypersonic aircraft called Invictus that could transport passengers from London to Sydney in approximately three hours, a journey that currently takes between 21 and 33 hours. The plane would travel at five times the speed of sound, making it significantly faster than the original Concorde, which flew at 1,350 mph (Mach 2).
From Supersonic to Hypersonic
Concorde's first commercial flight in 1976 marked a milestone, crossing the Atlantic in about three and a half hours. After its retirement in 2003, no supersonic passenger plane has entered service. Invictus aims to go a step further by achieving hypersonic speeds — defined as Mach 5 or above. The European Space Agency's design phase is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with an estimated cost of €7 million (£6,034,350). A test flight without commercial passengers is planned, and if successful, commercial flights could begin as early as 2034.
Flying at the Edge of Space
Invictus is designed to fly at approximately 80,000 feet, roughly twice the altitude of conventional airliners, which typically cruise between 30,000 and 42,000 feet. This high-altitude flight path brings the aircraft to the edge of the atmosphere. Gordon Stevenson, a director of Spaceport Machrihanish, told The Telegraph: "Like most aerospace technologies, it will probably have dual use. Satellite delivery would be one of the obvious uses, and people have talked about passenger flights ultimately. You could be in Sydney, Australia in three hours. It depends on the speed at which it flies and the success of the technology, but it would be amazing wouldn't it?"
European Leadership in Hypersonic Technology
Tommaso Ghidini, the European Space Agency's mechanical department head, previously stated: "Hypersonic flight is not just the next frontier of aerospace — it's the gateway to a new paradigm of mobility, defence, and space access. With Invictus, Europe is seizing the opportunity to lead in technologies that will define how we move across the planet and reach beyond it." The project underscores Europe's ambition to pioneer hypersonic travel, which could also be used for satellite delivery and other dual-purpose applications.
Comparison with Current and Future Long-Haul Flights
Currently, the longest non-stop flight from London to Sydney is operated by Qantas under Project Sunrise, which takes 22 hours and is expected to launch in 2027. While this is a significant reduction from current journey times, it still pales in comparison to the three-hour hypersonic flight proposed by Invictus. The Invictus aircraft would not only revolutionize travel times but also bring humans closer to space, offering a new paradigm for mobility and access.
Concorde Legacy and Fun Facts
Concorde set numerous records during its service. In 1986, a British Airways Concorde circumnavigated the globe, covering 28,238 miles in 29 hours and 59 minutes. The fastest London-to-New York flight took just 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds. Due to airframe heating, the plane would stretch by 6 to 10 inches during flight. Before its first flight, Concorde underwent 5,000 hours of testing, making it the most tested plane in history. The name Concorde was chosen by former French President Charles de Gaulle, meaning "agreement" or "treaty" in French, reflecting the 1962 treaty between Britain and France to build the aircraft. Flights were operated by British Airways and Air France.
While the Invictus project is still in its infancy, it represents a bold step toward hypersonic commercial travel. If realized, it could transform global connectivity, making intercontinental trips as short as a domestic flight.
