Historic Milestone Achieved
's XB-1 made history as the first privately developed civil aircraft to break the sound barrier, achieving Mach 1.1 during a test flight from Mojave Air and .
The XB-1 completed its final test flight on February 10, 2025, breaking the sound barrier three times, marking a significant step towards the revival of supersonic passenger travel.
Future Prospects and Challenges
Boom Supersonic aims to use the data from the XB-1 tests to inform the development of the Overture, a supersonic passenger airliner expected to operate in the 2030s, potentially reducing transatlantic flight times significantly.
Despite securing over $600 million in funding and 130 provisional orders, Boom faces challenges in proving the economic viability and environmental sustainability of supersonic travel, lessons learned from the Concorde era.