'China Unveils Game-Changing Aircraft': Travel Around the World in Just 2 Hours With This New 12,000-MPH Plane
IN A NUTSHELL 🚀 China unveils a revolutionary hypersonic aircraft designed to travel at speeds of 12,427 mph.
a revolutionary hypersonic aircraft designed to travel at speeds of 12,427 mph. 🌍 This aircraft can circumnavigate the Earth in just two hours, transforming global travel.
in just two hours, transforming global travel. 💡 The technology utilizes a combination of rotational and oblique detonation to achieve unprecedented speeds.
to achieve unprecedented speeds. 🌱 Despite its promise, the aircraft presents challenges like thermal stress and environmental impact.
In an unprecedented announcement, China has introduced a hypersonic aircraft capable of revolutionizing global travel by completing a journey around the world in just two hours. This remarkable development is set to transform the landscape of transportation and redefine the boundaries of what is possible in aviation. At the heart of this breakthrough is an innovative propulsion system that allows for incredible speeds, promising to reshape our understanding of time and distance in intercontinental travel. The Dawn of Hypersonic Travel
The introduction of the Chinese-developed hypersonic engine marks a quantum leap in aviation technology. With the capability to reach speeds of up to 12,427 mph, this aircraft can dramatically reduce the time required for long-haul flights. To illustrate, a typical flight from New York to London, which currently takes approximately seven hours, could be shortened to a mere 16 minutes with this technology.
This groundbreaking propulsion system leverages a combination of rotational detonation and oblique detonation to achieve its extraordinary velocity. The engine's design focuses on maximizing energy efficiency and maintaining stability at extreme speeds, potentially offering reduced carbon emissions compared to traditional aircraft. While this may sound like science fiction, it is grounded in decades of research into hypersonic flight, much like how cosmic phenomena can lead to major scientific advancements. Technical Marvels Behind the Speed
At the core of the hypersonic engine's functionality are two key phases:
'China Moves Decades Ahead': World's First Fusion-Fission Hybrid Reactor Set to Eclipse U.S. Efforts by 2030 Rotational detonation up to Mach 7
Oblique detonation for speeds beyond Mach 7
In the initial phase, air moves in a spiral motion within a cylindrical chamber, creating a continuous detonation wave that significantly enhances thrust and efficiency. Once the aircraft surpasses Mach 7, the engine transitions to oblique detonation, where air is compressed and ignited at an angle, ensuring stability at extremely high speeds.
To better understand the time-saving potential of this aircraft, consider the table below: Route Current Flight Time Hypersonic Flight Time New York to Tokyo 14 hours 37 minutes London to Sydney 22 hours 51 minutes Los Angeles to Dubai 16 hours 42 minutes Implications and Challenges
The advent of hypersonic travel carries profound implications for global commerce, diplomacy, and cultural exchange. Rapid intercontinental travel could enable more frequent face-to-face interactions among business leaders and politicians, potentially speeding up decision-making processes and fostering international cooperation.
'U.S. Military Caught Off Guard': China's New Turbine Blade Delivers Brutal Jet Power and Unstoppable Endurance
However, this technological marvel is not without its challenges. The extreme speeds generate intense heat, necessitating the development of advanced materials to withstand thermal stress. Safety concerns regarding passenger travel at such velocities are also paramount. These obstacles must be addressed before hypersonic travel becomes a viable option for the general public.
Environmental considerations play a crucial role as well. Although developers claim reduced CO2 emissions, the comprehensive ecological impact of hypersonic flight requires thorough evaluation. As with any new technology, it is vital to balance progress with sustainability. The Future of Global Connectivity
As we stand on the cusp of a transportation revolution, it is essential to consider the broader implications of hypersonic travel. This technology could reshape global economics by enabling more efficient supply chains and opening new markets. It also holds the potential to democratize international travel, making distant destinations more accessible to a broader audience.
'China Tightens Solar Grip': Already Dominating the Market, Beijing Unveils New Tech to Cement Total Global Control
Questions of accessibility and affordability remain. Will hypersonic travel be an exclusive privilege for the elite, or can it become a mainstream transportation mode? The answer will depend on further technological advancements and economic factors.
The geopolitical ramifications of this technology are significant. Just as individuals protect their car keys from potential threats, nations may need to reassess their strategic positions in light of this newfound capability.
As we look to the future, hypersonic travel has the potential to redraw our world's map, bringing distant corners of the globe closer together than ever before. While challenges abound, the promise of circling the Earth in just two hours sparks the imagination and hints at a future of unparalleled global connectivity. What will this mean for the way we live, work, and connect across the world?
Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article.
Did you like it? 4.6/5 (26)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
a day ago
- France 24
The most eye-catching products at Paris's Vivatech trade fair
Here are some of the highlights of this year's show gathered by AFP on the scene: - Anti-counterfeiting AI - For humans, spotting the difference between a Lacoste polo shirt and a fake sporting the brand's crocodile logo can be tricky. But French startup Vrai AI believes its artificial intelligence model can tell the two apart based on a simple photo. "AI can detect micro-mistakes" made by counterfeit manufacturers of products like off-the-rack clothes, banknotes or even anti-malarial medications, co-founder Hugo Garcia-Cotte tells AFP. "It's more reliable than humans," he adds. Lacoste has been testing the AI model since November, with customs services in countries like Cameroon and Senegal also taking an interest. Robotic telemedicine Scooting around on castor wheels, column-shaped robots from Hong Kong firm Robocore can serve as mobile advertising billboards -- but for now are mostly deployed for medical purposes in hospitals and retirement homes. "We are in about 200 elderly homes in the United States, 1,000 elderly homes in Hong Kong, and we are in a lot of hospitals as well," boss Long Hei Roy Lim tells AFP. The robots, each a few feet high, use AI to navigate environments autonomously, including taking the lift. They can also analyse patients' medical data and have conversations powered by chatbots from American developer OpenAI or Chinese competitor DeepSeek. Robocore says its robots can save time for health workers, whose workload is cut to simply checking up on what the robots have distributed to patients -- hopefully limiting the impact of doctor shortages. With 50,000 units deployed across 33 countries, Robocore was hoping to expand into new markets thanks to its attendance at Vivatech. Nimble electric vehicles At just 79 centimetres (two and half feet) wide and 2.4 metres (seven and a half feet) long, French startup Aemotion's four-wheeled electric vehicle is designed to weave through traffic, saving commuters time spent in jams. Built in central France, the black transport that's not quite a motor scooter nor really a car is fully enclosed and can carry two people at up to 115 kilometres per hour (70 mph). "We aim to sell 5,000 of these a year within five years," company chief Alexandre Lagrange told AFP at the company's stand, where he is showing off the third version of Aeomotion's prototype. Pre-orders are already open for the vehicle, with the company aiming to get road licensing early next year, with a price tag of 20,000 euros ($23,000). The first drivers will get their hands on one in late 2026 or early 2027, co-founder Alain Dublin said. Smart shoes Imagine being guided on a walk around busy city streets not by brightly-coloured signs and traffic lights, but by vibrations in your feet. That's the promise of Japanese start-up Ashirase, which has developed a vibrating tool that slips into shoes aimed at making life easier for visually impaired people. 'We use AI for accurate positioning, by mixing the sensor data from the Ashirase device and location data from (a) smartphone,' development chief Ryohei Tokuda said. Users simply have to select a destination in the accompanying app and the buzzing inserts will let them know when to turn. Backed by carmaker Honda, Ashirase's smart shoe upgrades are already on sale in Japan. It hopes to bring them to Europe starting with a launch in Germany in September.
Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
The engineers cleaning up the high seas by trapping ship emissions
The shipping industry moves over 80% of global trade – but it's also responsible for more than 800 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year. And while new fuels and ship designs may chart a greener course for the future, they do little to help the vast fleet of existing vessels still on the water today. That's the challenge UK-based engineers Alisha Fredriksson and Roujia Wen set out to solve – and their breakthrough innovation has now earned them a place among the top 10 global selected scientists for the Young Inventors Prize 2025, awarded by the European Patent Office (EPO). Together, Fredriksson, a Swedish-Canadian climate tech entrepreneur, and Wen, a Chinese engineer with a background in AI and applied mathematics, co-founded in the UK Seabound—a startup that has developed a compact, retrofittable carbon capture system for ships. Unlike most industrial carbon capture systems, which require complex onboard storage or high-pressure tanks, Seabound's device captures CO₂ directly from ship exhaust and binds it with a lime-based sorbent, transforming it into solid limestone pellets. The process is simple, safe, and designed to operate on any commercial cargo vessel. 'If you picture a little rock, it's basically like a sponge for CO₂,' explains Fredriksson. 'When the CO₂ passes over the pebble, it soaks it up – and then it's trapped inside that pebble.' The system is modular and scalable. It can be installed in standard shipping containers and powered using heat from the ship's exhaust, requiring minimal additional energy. Once captured, the limestone pellets can be offloaded as ordinary cargo, avoiding the need for specialised port infrastructure. The material can either be sold for use in construction or post-processed to release and reuse the CO₂, allowing the lime to be recycled for future capture cycles. Fredriksson and Wen first met at university and launched Seabound in 2021. Fredriksson had worked in maritime e-fuels, where she saw firsthand the scarcity of captured CO₂ needed for production. Wen's expertise in systems engineering helped them develop a working prototype. 'Initially, people thought it was crazy that we were taking on such a big challenge,' says Wen. 'Until they saw our six-metre-tall prototype actually built. Then they started seeing that it's real – and it's happening.' Their system has since been tested at sea on a commercial cargo vessel, capturing CO₂ at 78% efficiency and sulphur emissions at 90% efficiency, according to Seabound. The technology not only meets environmental targets, but also offers shipowners a cost-effective alternative to replacing entire fleets – a critical bridge solution for the industry. 'Sustainability means building a world that works for both people and the planet,' says Wen. 'Not just for today but for generations to come.' The duo's innovation directly supports UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action), offering a scalable way to slash emissions in one of the hardest-to-abate sectors. Their innovation shows that cleaning up the high seas doesn't have to wait for the future: It can start with the ships already on the water. Ministers and representatives from more than 95 countries called for an ambitious agreement from global plastics treaty negotiations at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) on Tuesday. Negotiations for the UN plastics treaty collapsed in late 2024 with nations unable to agree on how best to stop millions of tonnes of plastic from entering the environment each year. The next round of negotiations is due to resume in Geneva, Switzerland, in August. The declaration, dubbed the 'Nice Wake-Up Call', identifies five elements that the signatories say are key to achieving a global agreement that is 'commensurate with what science tells us and our citizens are calling for'. They include a full lifecycle approach, including: plastic production, phasing out chemicals of concern and problematic products, improvements to product design, effective means of implementation, and incorporating provisions that will allow for a treaty that can evolve. 'A treaty that lacks these elements, only relies on voluntary measures or does not address the full lifecycle of plastics will not be effective to deal with the challenge of plastic pollution,' the Nice Wake-Up call reads. French Minister for Ecological Transition Agnes Pannier-Runacher told the ocean summit in Nice that the declaration sends a 'clear and strong message'. More than 200 nations met in South Korea last year for what was meant to be a final round of talks on a landmark agreement to tackle global plastic pollution. But following two years of negotiations, these talks ended without a final treaty after deep divisions formed between countries calling for plastic to be phased out and oil-producing nations. One of the most contentious points was whether there should be a commitment to cut how much plastic is produced or whether waste can be reduced through recycling efforts. Pannier-Runacher told journalists at UNOC on Tuesday that comprehensive measures covering the full lifecycle of plastics are needed. 'Better waste management and recycling will not help solve the problem. This is a lie.' The declaration represents a united front from those countries pushing for an ambitious treaty ahead of the resumed negotiations. Jessica Roswall, EU Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, urged countries to approach the resumed negotiations in August 'through dialogue and with willingness to find common ground'. With talks in Nice centred around ensuring oceans are protected, an ambitious plastics treaty is key to this goal. "Every year, over 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced worldwide – one-third of which is used just once,' Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said as UNOC opened on Monday. 'Every day, the equivalent of over 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic is dumped into our oceans, rivers, and lakes.' Plastic production is expected to triple by 2060, but currently, just 9 per cent is recycled around the world. Around 11 million tonnes of plastic waste finds its way into the ocean each year, and plastic waste makes up 80 per cent of all marine pollution. Andres del Castillo, senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law, says the Wake-Up Call should be a 'floor, not a ceiling'. 'For the Global Plastics Treaty to succeed, Member States must move beyond vague promises and define how they are going to deliver, including through clear, legally binding measures and a human rights-based approach. 'Come August in Geneva, political statements will not be enough. We must see Member States stand up to petrostate and fossil fuel interests on the floor of the negotiations. Their actions will speak louder than words.'
Sustainability Times
2 days ago
- Sustainability Times
'China Unveils Game-Changing Aircraft': Travel Around the World in Just 2 Hours With This New 12,000-MPH Plane
IN A NUTSHELL 🚀 China unveils a revolutionary hypersonic aircraft designed to travel at speeds of 12,427 mph. a revolutionary hypersonic aircraft designed to travel at speeds of 12,427 mph. 🌍 This aircraft can circumnavigate the Earth in just two hours, transforming global travel. in just two hours, transforming global travel. 💡 The technology utilizes a combination of rotational and oblique detonation to achieve unprecedented speeds. to achieve unprecedented speeds. 🌱 Despite its promise, the aircraft presents challenges like thermal stress and environmental impact. In an unprecedented announcement, China has introduced a hypersonic aircraft capable of revolutionizing global travel by completing a journey around the world in just two hours. This remarkable development is set to transform the landscape of transportation and redefine the boundaries of what is possible in aviation. At the heart of this breakthrough is an innovative propulsion system that allows for incredible speeds, promising to reshape our understanding of time and distance in intercontinental travel. The Dawn of Hypersonic Travel The introduction of the Chinese-developed hypersonic engine marks a quantum leap in aviation technology. With the capability to reach speeds of up to 12,427 mph, this aircraft can dramatically reduce the time required for long-haul flights. To illustrate, a typical flight from New York to London, which currently takes approximately seven hours, could be shortened to a mere 16 minutes with this technology. This groundbreaking propulsion system leverages a combination of rotational detonation and oblique detonation to achieve its extraordinary velocity. The engine's design focuses on maximizing energy efficiency and maintaining stability at extreme speeds, potentially offering reduced carbon emissions compared to traditional aircraft. While this may sound like science fiction, it is grounded in decades of research into hypersonic flight, much like how cosmic phenomena can lead to major scientific advancements. Technical Marvels Behind the Speed At the core of the hypersonic engine's functionality are two key phases: 'China Moves Decades Ahead': World's First Fusion-Fission Hybrid Reactor Set to Eclipse U.S. Efforts by 2030 Rotational detonation up to Mach 7 Oblique detonation for speeds beyond Mach 7 In the initial phase, air moves in a spiral motion within a cylindrical chamber, creating a continuous detonation wave that significantly enhances thrust and efficiency. Once the aircraft surpasses Mach 7, the engine transitions to oblique detonation, where air is compressed and ignited at an angle, ensuring stability at extremely high speeds. To better understand the time-saving potential of this aircraft, consider the table below: Route Current Flight Time Hypersonic Flight Time New York to Tokyo 14 hours 37 minutes London to Sydney 22 hours 51 minutes Los Angeles to Dubai 16 hours 42 minutes Implications and Challenges The advent of hypersonic travel carries profound implications for global commerce, diplomacy, and cultural exchange. Rapid intercontinental travel could enable more frequent face-to-face interactions among business leaders and politicians, potentially speeding up decision-making processes and fostering international cooperation. 'U.S. Military Caught Off Guard': China's New Turbine Blade Delivers Brutal Jet Power and Unstoppable Endurance However, this technological marvel is not without its challenges. The extreme speeds generate intense heat, necessitating the development of advanced materials to withstand thermal stress. Safety concerns regarding passenger travel at such velocities are also paramount. These obstacles must be addressed before hypersonic travel becomes a viable option for the general public. Environmental considerations play a crucial role as well. Although developers claim reduced CO2 emissions, the comprehensive ecological impact of hypersonic flight requires thorough evaluation. As with any new technology, it is vital to balance progress with sustainability. The Future of Global Connectivity As we stand on the cusp of a transportation revolution, it is essential to consider the broader implications of hypersonic travel. This technology could reshape global economics by enabling more efficient supply chains and opening new markets. It also holds the potential to democratize international travel, making distant destinations more accessible to a broader audience. 'China Tightens Solar Grip': Already Dominating the Market, Beijing Unveils New Tech to Cement Total Global Control Questions of accessibility and affordability remain. Will hypersonic travel be an exclusive privilege for the elite, or can it become a mainstream transportation mode? The answer will depend on further technological advancements and economic factors. The geopolitical ramifications of this technology are significant. Just as individuals protect their car keys from potential threats, nations may need to reassess their strategic positions in light of this newfound capability. As we look to the future, hypersonic travel has the potential to redraw our world's map, bringing distant corners of the globe closer together than ever before. While challenges abound, the promise of circling the Earth in just two hours sparks the imagination and hints at a future of unparalleled global connectivity. What will this mean for the way we live, work, and connect across the world? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.6/5 (26)
