The prototype of a vertical takeoff and landing plane is expected to be ready by 2030, the company said
The company Space Transportation, also known as Beijing Lingkong Tianxing Technology, told Chinese media it was developing “a winged rocket” for high-speed “point-to-point transportation,” which would be cheaper than using rockets that carry satellites and faster than traditional aircraft.
According to a presentation on the company’s website, the plane will take off vertically, detach itself from a glider wing with rocket boosters and, after making a suborbital trip, land vertically on three deployable legs.
The media quoted Space Transportation as saying that a flight from Beijing to New York would only take an hour.
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The company said booster tests are in the works for 2023 and a prototype of a crewed aircraft should be ready around 2030.
