Aerion Supersonic AS2: New supersonic jet undergoes testing as giant manufacturing plant unveiled

Aerion Supersonic, one of several companies developing a next-generation supersonic jet, is moving forward with its plans to start production on its aircraft in 2023. The company has announced it plans to build a huge new headquarters and manufacturing facility in Melbourne, Florida. The A$300m facility will be located near Melbourne-Orlando Airport with about 185,000 square metres of building space, plus taxiways and other ground support facilities for the planned jet. The new facility will employ 675 people, with Aerion citing Florida's association with high tech flight, and its connected workforce, as a key reason for choosing the location. The coastline east of Orlando is known as the Space Coast for its connection to America's space program. It's home to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral, where all of NASA's manned space flights have taken off from since 1961. The AS2 aims to be the first new commercial supersonic aircraft to enter service in more than 50 years. The only other supersonic commercial jet, the Concorde, was retired in 2003, three years after the crash of an Air France Concorde that killed 113 passengers and crew.<br/>