China is pushing the frontiers of aerospace technology with the development of an ambitious hypersonic aircraft designed to circle the globe in just seven hours. The cutting-edge project, which is being spearheaded by the state-backed Space Transportation (Lingkong Tianxing), could revolutionize international travel and strengthen China’s position in the global aerospace race.
According to company sources and recent announcements, the hypersonic plane—still in its prototype and testing phase—will be capable of flying at speeds exceeding Mach 7, or over 8,600 kilometres per hour. This velocity would allow the aircraft to travel from Beijing to New York in under two hours and complete a full circumnavigation of the Earth in approximately seven hours.
The aircraft is expected to carry 10 passengers in its initial version, with plans for larger-capacity models in the future. Designers have emphasised a sleek, delta-wing shape similar to that of the Space Shuttle, optimised for both aerodynamic efficiency and thermal protection during high-speed flight in the upper atmosphere.
In terms of propulsion, the plane is believed to use a combination of rocket and air-breathing engines, enabling it to take off vertically like a spaceplane before transitioning into hypersonic cruise mode in near-space altitudes. This dual-mode approach allows for significantly faster travel times compared to traditional jet aircraft or even the Concorde, which retired in 2003.
Chinese aerospace officials say that the first full-scale test flight could take place as early as 2027, with commercial or strategic deployment potentially by 2035. The ambitious timeline reflects China’s broader goals of becoming a global leader in space and aviation technologies.
While the project is still years away from public availability, it marks a significant step in the evolution of rapid point-to-point travel and may eventually reshape how we think about long-distance air transportation.
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