Using missiles to shorten international flight times.

Private airlines are exploring the possibility of using rockets to carry passengers on long-haul flights in a much shorter time than commercial aircraft.

Missiles travel at significantly faster speeds than commercial passenger aircraft. Photo: 3D Sculptor — Missiles travel at significantly faster speeds than commercial passenger aircraft. Photo: *3D Sculptor*

In early May, Australian airline Qantas announced plans for the world's longest non-stop flight from Sydney to New York or London in 20 hours, scheduled to begin in 2025. However, according to research published a few weeks later by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, that journey could be shortened to 2 hours, one-tenth of Qantas's flight time, if rockets were used.

According to a concept called point-to-point rocket travel, rockets could be used to launch spacecraft on suborbital flights, allowing travel at speeds up to 6,437 km/h, according to David Doughty, CEO of Admiral Jet, a company specializing in private jets and helicopters. Large commercial jets currently fly at speeds of around 885-965 km/h at cruising speed. Therefore, the rocket's speed would make a huge difference in arrival times. "Rockets could change the way we think about travel and open up many new opportunities for exploration and discovery," Doughty said.

Several space companies are testing the technology needed to travel by rocket from point to point. Billionaires including Richard Branson, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos are joining the new space race through their respective companies, Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, and BlueOrigin. In late May, Virgin Galactic announced the successful completion of its fifth space flight, and commercial space flights could begin as early as June.

The U.S. military is also collaborating with SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Rocket Lab to explore the possibility of traveling by rocket from point to point to deliver cargo, according to Joe Cassady, an aerospace engineer at NASA. They have made significant progress in developing reusable rockets, but there is still a long way to go before they are ready for commercial flight. Building launch facilities, establishing flight corridors, and coordinating air traffic control systems will require substantial investment as well as collaboration between space companies and the government.

Furthermore, rockets use volatile fuel that can explode in large quantities. Therefore, launch sites are unlikely to be conveniently located in major cities, but rather in remote locations such as SpaceX's test site in Boca Chica, Texas, near the Mexican border. Finally, the industry needs to consider the environmental impact, both on Earth and in space.

During launch and landing, passengers experience G-forces, or significant acceleration, according to Cassady. Modern astronauts experience G-forces of 3, making their body weight feel three times heavier than on the ground. Therefore, the seat needs to be form-fitting to absorb some of the weight.

Passengers will need to wear pressurized spacesuits and helmets during the 10-minute liftoff and the 40-minute landing. But during the 30-60 minutes in orbit, they can experience weightlessness. They can remove the pressurized suits and float freely.

An Khang (According to Business Insider )

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