Posted on 07/11/2025 8:24:47 AM PDT by Red Badger
A new Chinese hypersonic engine could cut long-haul flights to under an hour, pushing aircraft to unprecedented speeds. This breakthrough in propulsion technology might reshape global travel and military strategy.
China Unveils an Engine Capable of an Astonishing 20,000 KM/H, That Can Circle the Globe in Just 2 Hours | The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel
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A new hypersonic engine developed in China could revolutionize air travel by reducing long-haul flight times to mere minutes. Capable of reaching Mach 16—approximately 20,000 km/h (12,250 mph)—this propulsion system represents a significant leap in aerospace engineering.
Developed at the Beijing Power Machinery Institute, this breakthrough has been documented in the Journal of Propulsion Technology. Researchers claim the engine is more fuel-efficient and stable than previous hypersonic designs, overcoming some of the major challenges that have long hindered this technology.
A Major Leap Beyond Supersonic Travel
For decades, supersonic aircraft like Concorde pushed the boundaries of speed, but their efficiency and fuel consumption issues limited their success. China’s latest development moves beyond Mach 2 travel, bringing hypersonic flight closer to reality.
The engine operates at 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) above Earth’s surface, using a dual-mode detonation process. At speeds up to Mach 7, it functions through a rotary detonation system, where a continuous shockwave combusts fuel more efficiently than traditional jet engines. Once it exceeds Mach 7, it shifts into oblique detonation mode, ensuring sustained high-speed performance with greater stability.
According to researchers, this approach could achieve up to 80% energy conversion efficiency, far exceeding the 20–30% efficiency of conventional engines. Addressing fuel consumption and stability challenges, this technology moves one step closer to practical hypersonic aviation.
The engine was developed at the Beijing Power Machinery Institute. Image Scmp
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A Revolution in Global Transportation
If successfully integrated into commercial aircraft, hypersonic propulsion could drastically reduce flight times. A journey from Paris to New York could take less than an hour, and a London-to-Sydney trip could be completed in 90 minutes instead of the usual 22 hours.
The potential extends beyond passenger travel—cargo transport at these speeds could enable near-instantaneous global deliveries, reshaping supply chains and international trade.
The ability to transport goods across vast distances in minutes would eliminate logistical bottlenecks, benefiting industries that depend on rapid shipments, such as medical supply chains and high-value manufacturing.
The engine operates in two modes. Image: Eurasian Times
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Military and Defense Implications
The military applications of hypersonic propulsion are equally significant. Aircraft and missiles traveling at Mach 16 would be nearly impossible to intercept with current air defense systems, raising concerns about strategic deterrence and national security.
Unlike conventional fighter jets or ballistic missiles, hypersonic vehicles move so quickly that traditional radar tracking and interception technologies may become obsolete.
China’s advancement in this field is expected to intensify competition among global superpowers. The United States, Russia, and Europe are already investing heavily in hypersonic research, but China’s breakthrough may accelerate the race for high-speed military dominance.
The ability to evade detection and strike with unprecedented speed could fundamentally change the nature of warfare, forcing nations to rethink their defense strategies.
Engineering Challenges and Future Developments
Despite its potential, significant engineering challenges must be resolved before hypersonic travel becomes a practical reality. Extreme heat and pressure at Mach 16 require advanced thermal protection systems to prevent aircraft from breaking apart.
Materials capable of withstanding these conditions must be developed, and cooling mechanisms must be perfected to ensure structural integrity during flight.
Another major hurdle is stability and control. Previous detonation engines have struggled with shockwave management, making them difficult to operate consistently. Researchers must refine the technology further to ensure that hypersonic engines remain stable across various speed ranges.
Economic feasibility is also a key concern. Although the engine is theoretically more fuel-efficient than traditional propulsion systems, developing cost-effective aircraft that can safely operate at these speeds remains a significant challenge. If the technology proves too expensive, commercial adoption could be delayed for decades.
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That's because our market based system is completely incompatible with their master planned economy.
For example, our system requires that products actually work to succeed.
Oh sure...
Super/ Hypersonic over ANY major city or towns?
IIRC this was the HUGE concorde problem. Sure London to NY is 2 hrs.. Then it still takes 3 to get from NY to Chi..
Do we really need hypersonic Temu deliveries?
Fermented garlic.
The biggest challenge in checkrides is maneuvers at just above stall speed in slow flight. Toss in a little uncoordinated bank and you can wrap up in a spin in a microsecond. Imagine an airframe that would be needed to fly in controlled flight at 12,000 MPH and at 125KTS to land safely?
“One word: Plastics.”
It would need delta wing at slow speeds and swept wings at hyperspeeds........
Therefore this article is crap and does not belong here!
“Many thanks to the democrat party for giving us the technology head start, unfettered immigration of students, sleeping with spies, allowing industrial espionage, never punishing us for stealing patents and intellectual property, environmental rules that drove manufacturing to our shore, not mining domestic resources, and brainwashing your native colleges students in to useless drones. Also an honorable mention to RINOS like Mitch McConnel and the Bush clan.” - Chairman Xi
When you hear new developments in tech and science it is usually a Chinese name educated in an American college.
So does theirs.
Are you familiar with the Arduino microcontroller board and the wide ranging accessories for it? The Arduino itself came from Italy and the lion's share of accessories come from China. The United States hasn't contributed much to that important endeavor.
The United States seems to innovate elaborate weapons systems, not much else.
Same way as the Soviets back in the day-- they lied about inventing everything.
“If successfully integrated into commercial aircraft”
Requires a large aircraft that can safely use that power. Such flight is not the same as that of missiles, which so far have been the only objects with sustained hypersonic flight.
Firefox was a good movie.
Is a hypersonic boom worse than a sonic boom? Probably.
Yeah. No.
Developing an engine with that kind of scoot is only a fraction of the figuring.
Another example demonstrating how our government top science labs, like Los Alamos National Laboratory, have OBVIOUSLY been off on many “woke” missions delivering next to nothing lately (for years) in major advancements.
Los Alamos needs whole new leadership and direction on a “Manhattan Project” scale and time frame.
*cough* Clinton’s *cough*.
So, you basically saying when they go from 0-12,000 mph, there will be no G force
Can you imagine the g’s in a small 2 minute turn at speed?
Clintons
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