Boeing jet may take you to your next business meeting at supersonic speeds

Boeing is partnering with supersonic start-up Aerion to develop a jet that will bring back the luxury of faster-than-sound business travel, the aerospace giant announced Tuesday. The AS2 aircraft, designed to fly at Mach 1.4 or approximately 1,000 miles per hour, is slated for its first flight in 2023. Along with the partnership, Boeing said it "made a significant investment in Aerion" although the companies did not disclose financial terms of the agreement. That investment will help Aerion "accelerate technology development and aircraft design," Boeing said. "Through this partnership that combines Aerion's supersonic expertise with Boeing's global industrial scale and commercial aviation experience, we have the right team to build the future of sustainable supersonic flight," said Steve Nordlund, VP and G< of Boeing NeXt. Lockheed Martin, Airbus, and GE Aviation previously worked on Aerion's AS2 supersonic business jet. Boeing unveiled a rendering for a hypersonic passenger plane in June, which is the next speed class above hypersonic. Boeing's design was for a plane that could fly as fast as Mach 5, or about 3,900 miles per hour. Along with Aerion's AS2, these plans are looking to bring back the luxuries of traveling on board the supersonic Concorde, which was retired 15 years ago. Several startups are racing to get next-generation supersonic prototypes in the air. But each must overcome the deficiencies of the Concorde, which was costly and limited in commercial use. Story has more detail.<br/>