Destinus, a European aerospace company specialising in hydrogen-powered, high-speed aircraft has secured a second grant of €15 million in funding to further the study and development of hydrogen-fueled supersonic aviation from the Spanish Ministry of Science’s Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico e Industrial (CDTI). The company aims to create a hydrogen-powered aeroplane that could take only around 4 hours instead of 20 to travel from Sydney to Frankfurt.
Davide Bonetti, VP of Business Development and Products for Destinus, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded these grants, especially because they are a clear sign that Destinus is aligned with the strategic lines of Spain and Europe to advance hydrogen flight.
“For deep tech companies like us, access to these EU recovery funds is essential to carry out advanced research and accelerate the innovation needed to be competitive on a global scale. With these grants, hydrogen-based solutions for aeronautical mobility will be one step closer to becoming a reality.”
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The latest investment
The grant funds the construction of a testing facility for air-breathing hydrogen engines, which Destinus will assist in designing and refining through additional testing, close to Madrid. In order to test innovative propulsion system ideas for upcoming supersonic hydrogen-powered aircraft, a second grant funds research into various areas of liquid hydrogen-powered propulsion.
Via strategic projects supported by Next Gen funds from the European Commission, the Spanish government is making significant investments in the development of hydrogen propulsion as part of its plan for economic resilience and change. This aligns with the Spanish Plan Nacional del Hidrógeno, which seeks to establish Spain as a global leader in developing hydrogen-based mobility across various industries.
Eiger: the second prototype of Destinus, made its first flight on April 13th, 2022, from an airport close to Munich.
What exactly is the hypersonic flight?
Russian physicist and businessman Mikhail Kokorich established Destinus in 2021; the company has its headquarters in Switzerland.
The gas turbine with a hydrogen post-combustor that Destinus is now testing and intends to fly this year is one of two prototypes it has, called Jungfrau and Eiger.
The most cutting-edge aerospace technologies are incorporated into hypersonic aircraft. Hydrogen as a fuel opens up new flight pathways for cargo and passenger transportation wherever on earth thanks to its long-range and high-speed characteristics.
Without compromising versatility, cost, or noise, it can travel across the world in 3–4 hours at speeds greater than 5 times the speed of sound.
The inaugural flight of Jungfrau, the first prototype of Destinus, took place on November 19 at an airport close to Munich.
Destinus is a developer and producer of ultra-long-range hypersonic aircraft that don’t make noise and can land at ordinary airports, making it simple to integrate into daily life.
By the end of this decade, Destinus will have its first aircraft, which can fly up to 7,500km (4,700 miles) with 100 passengers on board. The second will be transglobal and be able to travel 20,000 kilometres (12,500 miles) with 400 passengers on board.
In line with these aims, Destinus with offices in Germany, France, and Spain, will shortly conduct a flight test of an H2 post-combustor jet engine while advancing the development of hydrogen-only engines.
Hydrogen-powered flight is exciting and enormous
Overall, the development of hydrogen-powered flight is an exciting development for the aviation industry. With the potential to reduce carbon emissions, flight times, and noise pollution, hydrogen-powered planes could revolutionise how we travel.
Though there are still several technical challenges to overcome, the potential benefits of hypersonic hydrogen-powered flight are enormous. If hypersonic travel can successfully develop and bring its technology to market, it could transform air travel as we know it, making it faster, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly.
Source&Image: Destinus Website, tech eu, Space Watch Global, Aerospace Testing International
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