London to Sydney flights to take just two hours on new planes that go via space
Holidaymakers will be able to jet from London to Sydney in less than two hours – via space.
The Civil Aviation Authority is funding studies into the effects of sub-orbital space flights ahead of them being introduced for tourists within 10 years.
Trippers would be blasted into space briefly before descending to their destination in a fraction of the time taken by conventional flying. Flights from the UK to Australia currently take around 22 hours.
READ MORE: World’s first space hotel set to open in 2027 with zero-gravity and views of Earth
Sub-orbital flights – such as those offered by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin – cost more than £350,000 per seat. But regulators believe they will cease to be the preserve of the super-rich and become an intercontinental travel option `accessible to anybody'.
Medics want to assess the effects of space trips on fliers ahead of the development.
Future planes could have virtual cockpits, robot carts and 'sleeping' seats in economy
Dr Ryan Anderton, a consultant in aviation and space medicine for the authority, said: "Point-to-point travel is definitely not science fiction. It is being worked on.''
He said the Government and UK Space Agency would be involved in the flights and there were 'people knocking at the door asking about this'.
It will happen 'a lot sooner than people think – certainly less than 10 years', he added.
An authority-funded study of people aged 32 to 80 found most coped well with the G-forces involved in sub-orbital spaceflights.
It's not the only exciting move that could mean Brits enjoy speedier flights.
A new supersonic plane dubbed the 'world's fastest airliner' is set to fly passengers in 2029 – and it will be able to fly between London and New York in just 3.5 hours.
Created by Boom Supersonic, the Overture aircraft is set to go into production by 2024, with the first flight planned for 2026.
According to the Boom Supersonic website: "Supersonic aircraft fly higher than existing airliners, cruising at up to 60,000 feet. At this altitude, you fly above most of the turbulence, allowing a smoother ride than on subsonic aircraft. Looking out your window, you will see the darkness of space above you and the curvature of the Earth below."
They do however add: "Passengers will not hear or feel anything associated with the plane breaking the sound barrier."
It's expected that the aircraft will be able to carry between 65-80 passengers, and fly Mach 1.7 (the measurement used for the speed of sound).
Meanwhile, Virgin Galactic announced last year that it would be selling private 90-minute space trips – but you'll need to fork out £330,000 if you want to bag a ticket.
For Brits hoping to spend more time in space, there's more good news too as the world's first space hotel is currently tipped to open in 2027.
According to the Orbital Assembly, the accommodation would float above the Earth's atmosphere and have 24 'modules' all connected to make a rotating wheel. Concept images have shown rooms that would look out to space, although it's not yet clear how much a stay would actually cost – but we're going to assume very, very expensive.
What do you think of the sub-orbital flights – would you get onboard? Let us know in the comments below.
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