Aircraft emit staggering amounts of CO2, and the pace at which the number of flights is increasing is a matter of concern.
However, this breathtaking new nuclear-powered airliner concept proposes a future of flight that is both supersonic and eco-friendly. This hypersonic plane is expected to revolutionize the aeronautic industry. The duration of current flights would be halved. It would cut the travel time between New York and London to just three hours. One would be able to fly at three times the speed of sound while producing zero carbon emissions.
The nuclear-powered airliner is named Magnavem, which comes from the latin “magna avem,” meaning “big bird.” It would be able to achieve a top speed of Mach 1.5 (1,150 mph/1,852 km/h).
HSP Magnavem will run primarily on a compact fusion reactor (CFR). Energy would be generated by nuclear fusion (the process by which the sun works). Fusion reactions will take place within a magnetic container and will release energy in a controlled fashion.
Designer Oscar Vinals said, “I think nuclear fusion could be the best future source to obtain great amounts of electric energy.”
By using the latest technologies, Magnavem will be able to recharge extremely quickly. It also features a carbon dioxide cleaning system. It would be able to carry 500 passengers at a time.
Vinals said: “The response has been totally positive. I am very happy with this. I am most excited about the possibility to use a CFR (compact fusion reactor) with the benefits of inexhaustible power and great amounts of energy production. There’s also the plasma energy to control the airplane’s flight or the use of AI system. We must not forget the possibility of using the plane like an efficient tool to ‘clean’ the excess of CO2 in the atmosphere.”
Oscar explained that the technology is still at a rudimentary stage. It might take another 15 years of advancements to produce such a flying vessel.
