Virgin Galactic unveils Mach 3 aircraft design for high speed travel, signs deal with Rolls-Royce --Check out pics

New Delhi: Virgin Galactic, a vertically-integrated aerospace and space travel company has announced signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Rolls-Royce to collaborate in designing and developing engine propulsion technology for high speed commercial aircraft.

"This follows the successful completion of its Mission Concept Review (“MCR”) program milestone and authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration’s (“FAA”) Center for Emerging Concepts and Innovation to work with Virgin Galactic to outline a certification framework," an official statement said.

“The basic parameters of the initial high speed aircraft design include a targeted Mach 3 certified delta-wing aircraft that would have capacity for 9 to 19 people at an altitude above 60,000 feet and would also be able to incorporate custom cabin layouts to address customer needs, including Business or First Class seating arrangements”, a company statement said.

“The aircraft design also aims to help lead the way toward use of state-of-the-art sustainable aviation fuel. Baselining sustainable technologies and techniques into the aircraft design early on is expected to also act as a catalyst to adoption in the rest of the aviation community,” it added.

Virgin Galactic further said that the design philosophy of the aircraft is “geared around making high speed travel practical, sustainable, safe, and reliable, while making customer experience a top priority”.

The company is designing the aircraft for a range of operational scenarios, including service for passengers on long-distance commercial aviation routes.

The aircraft would take off and land like any other passenger aircraft and be expected to integrate into existing airport infrastructure and international airspace around the world, it said.

“We are excited to complete the Mission Concept Review and unveil this initial design concept of a high speed aircraft, which we envision as blending safe and reliable commercial travel with an unrivalled customer experience. We are pleased to collaborate with the innovative team at Rolls-Royce as we strive to develop sustainable, cutting-edge propulsion systems for the aircraft, and we are pleased to be working with the FAA to ensure our designs can make a practical impact from the start. We have made great progress so far, and we look forward to opening up a new frontier in high speed travel,” George Whitesides, Chief Space Officer, Virgin Galactic said.