Supersonic Market Studies

NASA Langley

Thanks to NASA’s Quesst mission and Commercial Supersonic Technology project, there is increasing interest in commercial planes that fly faster than sound.

In 2020, NASA funded two studies to look into the economic potential of high-speed commercial flights. Since then, more studies have been funded to explore the needed technological advancements and the regulatory challenges for supersonic aircraft.

Initial studies indicated that a market might exist for planes flying at 2-4 times the speed of sound, but further research showed the most profitable speeds are at the lower end of this range. However, current rules on sonic booms over land, noise during landing and takeoff, and engine emissions prevent the use of high-speed commercial planes. NASA’s projects are addressing these technological and regulatory hurdles by collaborating with industry and other government agencies. NASA also holds industry workshops to discuss high-speed commercial flight and better understand this emerging market.

source NASA