A new supersonic jet could be taking to the skies in the not too distant future.

Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 experimental prototype has undergone extensive ground testing over the past few months.

Fast approaching the final stages of testing, the prototype’s set to take its first test flight before the end of the year.

READ MORE! ‘Flying Bum’ hybrid airship is world’s largest aircraft

The testing is helping ready the aviation company’s Overture aircraft, dubbed the “Son of Concorde”, for its first flight in 2029.

Apparently, Overture will be able to fly passengers from the United Kingdom to the United States in just three and a half hours.

The jet, which features four engines and a new fuselage, will be able to fly at supersonic speeds of up to 1,304 miles per hour.

To be precide, the aircraft will cruise at Mach 1.7 over water and just under Mach 1 over land.

The new supersonic jet won’t just fly between the UK and US, though.

More than 600 routes have been planned fro Oveture across the globe.

Last year, American Airlines confirmed its partnership with the company to create aircraft that could travel at “2x the speed of today’s fastest commercial jets”.

“Aviation has not seen a giant leap in decades,” Boom founder and CEO Blaske Scholl previously said in a statement.

“Overture is revolutionary in its design, and it wil fundamentally change how we think about distance,” he added.

It goes without saying, test-flkying the prototype is an important milestone for the company, which has ambitions of developing both sustainable and supersonic flights.

“I believe in a future where more people go more places,” Scholl recently told Yahoo.

“Think about crossing the Atlantic in under four hours, leaving the East Coast in the morning, and making it to a dinner meeting in Europe on the same day,” he added.

“Think about being able to do a rountrip to Asia in 24 hours.”

A privately-owned airline is giving away free seats in a massive flash sale that’s only going to last for 24 hours.

Travelers will have the chance to book international flights starting from $0 – literally zero dollars.

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The airline in question is called VietJet, and is essentially Vietnam’s response to the likes of Ryanair, Wizzair or FlyDubai.

This explains part of the reasoning behind this incredible sale.

Low-cost airlines do flash sales all the time but this is something else.

We’ve seen $10, $5 or even $1 tickets before, but no other airline has ever offered $0 airfares in the past.

Also, the airline is based out of Vietnam but the flash sale applies to international destinations as well.

Among others, VietJet flies to Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Australia and Malaysia.

If you’re thinking there must be a catch, well, you’re not entirely wrong.

Unfortunately, while the fare is indeed free, you’re still required to cover the cost of those pesky taxes and airport fees.

They vary depending on the airline you’re using, the airport you’re flying from and so on, but the good news is we’re not talking about a huge amount, usually between $20 and $50.

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Even though VietJet is a low-cost airline, it does offer a certain level of luxury to customers who are willing to pay a bit more.

In addition to the base fare and the ‘Deluxe’ fare, the airline also has something called the ‘SkyBoss’ fare.

It includes checked baggage up to 50 kg, free access to luxury lounge and a private shuttle bus to the plane.

The 24-hour flash sale starts on September 9 one minute after midnight.

This is what British holidaymakers have to look forward to in the near future.

A futuristic hybrid airship that will ferry passengers to Spain’s most popular islands.

And the ‘flying bum’ is going to be the biggest aircraft in the world, by a long shot.

READ MORE! NASA accelerates plan for high-speed travel as it moves to next phase

Thanks to its distinctive shape, the airship has earned the nickname ‘Flying Bum’.

While the inner child in us finds that absolutely hilarious, we’ll stick to using its official name, the Airlander 10.

Billed as the world’s largest aircraft, Airlander 10 is the same length as a football pitch (300ft).

Not only that, but it’s the height of six double-decker buses, too.

In order to take to the skies, the helium airship flies using both aerostatic and aerodynamic lift.

Added power comes via a set of diesel-engine propellers.

Currently being built by British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), the elliptical-shaped airship is expected to launch in 2026.

And tourists heading to Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca can look forward to experiencing a new level of luxury.

Airlander 10 features a spacious passenger cabin suspended beneath an aerodynamic, helium-filled balloon.

Costing $50 million, the part-plane, airship can reportedly land on ‘’virtually any surface”.

Not only that, but Airlander 10 can take off from either a field or water, without the need for traditional infrastructure like ports or airports.

That’s what makes it ideal for short-haul flights from the UK to Spain’s popular islands.

Air Nostrum airline group already has 10 examples of the hybrid airship that were originally built for the US military.

But over the last decade, they’ve been re-assembled and designed for civilian use in the UK.

Now the airline has doubled its order of Airlander 10s to create a fleet of 20 to expand its push into the Med, focusing on the Balearic islands.

Apparently, the latest version of Airlander 10 is capable of staying in the air for five days straight while unmanned, and over two weeks while manned.

HAV plans to produce at least 12 aircraft per year, with a fully-electric version being available by 2030.

Unless you’re traveling first class, long-haul flights are a bore not to mention uncomfortable.

Thankfully, NASA is working on a way to get you to your destination faster.

Four times faster than what’s currently possible, to be precise.

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It may sound like a pipe dream, but the US space agency recently investigated the business case for supersonic passenger air travel.

And apparently, aircraft could theoretically travel between Mach 2 (2,469 km/h) and Mach 4 (4,900 km/h) speeds.

In other words, a lot faster than they’re flying now.

Supersonic passenger planes aren’t a new concept, though.

Concorde took off in 1976 and could travel at a maximum speed of Mach 2.04 (2,518 km/h).

Unfortunately, due to safety problems and several fatal crashes, she was retired in 2003.

Fast forward to today, and planes travel about 80 percent of the speed of sound, so Mach 1 (1,234 km/h).

Still fast, but not supersonic fast.

NASA’s Glenn Research Centre concluded there are around 50 established routes and potential markets for subsonic travel.

The problem is, the US and MANY other countries prohibit supersonic travel over land, so the studies’ findings covered trans-oceanic travel.

It’s not a case of proving it can be done, but rather providing the data to regulators to change the rules around supersonic flights.

So, what are the next steps?

Following studies into supersonic passenger travel, NASA’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program (AAVP) is ready to move into the next phase of high-speed travel research.

This will involve issuing two 12-month contracts to companies to develop concept designs and technology roadmaps.

“The roadmaps will explore air travel possibilities, outline risks and challenges, and identify needed technologies to make Mach 2-plus travel a reality,” NASA stated.

It’s not just NASA looking into supersonic and hypersonic travel.

Destinus, a private aerospace company from Switzerland, has been working on hypersonic planes for passenger transportation and cargo.

Airlines have also entered into partnerships with companies that are working to deliver supersonic travel.

Who will get there first – who knows – but it’s looking entirely possible that hypersonic travel will be a reality in the next decade.

India’s Moon landing keeps changing what we know about Earth’s only natural satellite.

India’s lunar rover is exploring the surface of the South Pole of the Moon as we speak, and it’s already come across a four-meter-wide crater.

And now India’s space agency has confirmed that it’s made another incredible discovery.

READ MORE! India’s lunar rover comes across an unexpected obstacle on the South Pole of Moon

According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) website, the lunar rover has been able to confirm the presence of sulphur.

Not only that, but several other elements have been detected near the lunar south pole.

The rover’s laser-induced spectroscope instrument also detected aluminum, iron, calcium, chromium, titanium, manganese, oxygen and silicon on the lunar surface.

ISRO said that the Chandrayan-3 Rover is expected to conduct experiments over 14 days.

The lunar rover is primarily searching for signs of frozen water that could help future astronaut missions as a potential source of drinking water or to make rocket fuel.

But, according to ISRO chairman S Somnath, the rover will also study the Moon’s atmosphere and seismic activity.

Earlier this week, the rover’s route had to be reprogrammed when it came close to a large crater measuring four meters in diameter.

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:

On August 27, 2023, the Rover came across a 4-meter diameter crater positioned 3 meters ahead of its location.
The Rover was commanded to retrace the path.

It's now safely heading on a new path.#Chandrayaan_3#Ch3 pic.twitter.com/QfOmqDYvSF

— ISRO (@isro) August 28, 2023

It’s not like the rover would’ve fallen in the crater, though, as the craft moves at a slow speed.

Apparently, it moves at around 10 centimeters per second to minimize shock and damage to the vehicle from the Moon’s rough terrain.

India will want to tread carefully, though, after a failed attempt to land on the moon in 2019.

But, the latest successful mission means India has joined the US, Soviet Union and China as only the fourth country to achieve this milestone.

The mission started more than a month ago at an estimated cost of $75 million dollars.

India’s success came just days after Russia’s Luna-25, which was aiming for the same lunar region, spun into an uncontrolled orbit and crashed.

Had it landed, it would have been the first successful Russian lundar landing after a gap of 47 years.

India’s lunar rover is coming across unexpected obstacles during its mission to the South Pole of the Moon. 

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) revealed that the Cahngdrayaan-3’s Pragyaan rover came across a large crater measuring four meters in diameter.

ISRO shared the news on Twitter along with photos of the huge crater. 

READ MORE: India’s historic lunar space rover beams back first videos of the Moon’s South Pole

According to the post, India’s lunar rover “then commanded to retrace its pace”.

“It’s now safely heading on a new path,” the statement added. 

The mission is the first time humanity has explored the South Pole of the Moon. 

ISRO has already sent back some mind-blowing photos and videos from the lunar surface. 

The craziest part of the trip is that it ‘only’ cost around $75 million for India to put the rover on the Moon.

That’s impressive, given the fact that’s half of what it would cost to make a blockbuster movie.

Remember Insterstellar starring Matt Damon and Matthew McConaughey?

Well, that particular movie cost $165 million to make.

Imagine that.

ISRO also shared observations from the temperature of the lunar topsoil around the Moon’s pole which was collected by the rover. 

The data will be used to help us understand the thermal behavior of the Moon’s surface. 

Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, announced over the weekend that August 23 will be celebrated as ‘National Space Day’ to mark the day the rover touched down on the Moon. 

He also announced that the spot where India’s lunar rover touched down would be known as ‘Shiv Shakti Point’. 

The site where its predecessor, the Chandrayaan-2, crash-landed has also been named ‘Tiranga Point’. 

It seems like the space race is back in fashion, with NASA also working on mini moon rovers too. 

This time though, it’s India who have won the race to the South Pole of the Moon.

India is taking humanity on our first-ever trip to the South Pole of the Moon.

After reaching a side of the Moon that had never been explored before, they’re now sending back images and South Pole’s videos.

And they’re breath-taking.

READ MORE: The most powerful telescope ever built by NASA can capture a galaxy from 4.6 BILLION years ago

The first clip shared by ISRO shows the lunar rover exiting the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft and ‘walking’ on the moon.

Other pictures show data from the mission’s instruments, and more images of the lunar rover.

The second clip that ISRO uploaded to Twitter / X shows the rover driving away, moving almost out of the lander’s sight.

More images were shared today as the rover encountered a large crater and had to change its course because of it.

ISRO said they wanted to A, prove that India could reach the Moon and B, conduct “in-site scientific experiments”.

One such experiment was showcased on Twitter / X.

Both the lander and rover are equipped to take measurements of the lunar environment.

The first experiment, dubbed ‘Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment’, shows drastic temperature changes between the surface of the South Pole of the Moon and the temperature beneath the soil.

The lowest temperature, which is -10 degrees Celsius, is recorded 80 mm (3 in) beneath the surface.

India’s Space Agency, known as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), managed to write the country’s name in the history books by becoming the first country to reach the South Pole of the Moon.

And the crazy part is they did it on a budget.

India’s mission cost roughly $75 million.

For reference, there are space-themed Hollywood movies that cost a lot more than that.

Matt Damon’s The Martian cost $105 million, meanwhile Matthew McConaughey’s Interstellar was filmed on a budget of $165 million.

Sure, those movies were in HD while these South Pole’s videos we’re seeing are a bit grainy, but they’re a lot more significant.

India’s history-making landing on the Moon cost less than what it cost to film Interstellar. 

In fact, it cost the Indian space agency less than half what it cost to make the blockbuster movie.

READ MORE! First photos taken from Moon’s South Pole by India’s historic rover have been revealed

The Chandrayaan-3 mission cost about 6.15 billion rupees, which converts to around USD $75 million. 

To put that in perspective, Christopher Nolan’s 2014 film Interstellar, starring Matthew McConaughey, cost $165 million to create. 

It also cost less to send the Chandrayaan-3 into space than the $100 million movie, Gravity, and the $108 million movie, The Martian.

India’s shoestring budget also rivals the lowest-cost missions made by the USA’s NASA.

The Indian space agency made headlines this week when it became the first to land on the Moon’s south pole and the fourth country to successfully land on the moon ever. 

In fact, Russia recently attempted to reach the Moon’s South Pole but the plan went terribly wrong when the Russian craft crashed right before landing.

India succeeded where Russia failed and ultimately reached the South Pole on August 23, 2023. 

The Moon landing was broadcast on national television in India, and the video was also shared on YouTube by India’s space agency ISRO.

Moon’s South Pole Pictures shared by ISRO on Twitter / X. 

After its Moon landing, the Chandrayaan-3 beamed freshly taken photographs down to Earth. 

The images show a side of the Moon never seen before, and they’re quite something. 

The South Pole pictures reveal a version of the moon that, on the surface at least, looks rather familiar.

The terrain looks ‘crusty’ and hard, and it is characterized by the iconic Gruyère cheese-like cracks the Moon is famous for.

However, things are different when it comes to what lies underneath the surface.

Scientists believe that the permanently shadowed polar craters in the South Pole may contain frozen ice trapped in the rocks.

India is making history by showing pictures of the Moon’s South Pole for the first time.

Chandrayaan-3, India’s newest Moon rover, is sharing freshly taken photographs of a side of the Moon we’d never seen before, and they’re quite something.

READ MORE: The most powerful telescope ever built by NASA can capture a galaxy from 4.6 BILLION years ago

India is only the fourth country to land on the Moon but the first country to reach the Moon’s South Pole.

It had never been done before, and not for lack of trying.

In fact, Russia recently attempted to reach the Moon’s South Pole but the plan went terribly wrong when the Russian craft crashed right before landing.

India succeeded where Russia failed and reached the South Pole on August 23, 2023.

The Moon landing was broadcast on national television in India, and the video was also shared on YouTube by India’s space agency ISRO.

Moon’s South Pole Pictures shared by ISRO on Twitter / X.

Moon’s South Pole pictures reveal a version of the moon that, on the surface at least, looks rather familiar.

The terrain looks ‘crusty’ and hard, and it is characterized but the iconic Gruyère cheese-like cracks the Moon is famous for.

However, things are different when it comes to what lies underneath the surface.

Scientists believe that the permanently shadowed polar craters in the South Pole may contain frozen ice trapped in the rocks.

The ice could be used to support a permanent human presence on Earth’s natural satellite, something space agencies have been dreaming about since 1969, after the first Moon landing.

The idea is to create a base where astronauts and scientists can work from for extended periods of time.

After a 50-year hiatus, the space race is back in full swing.

Every major superpower is trying to figure out a way to get back to the Moon and NASA is actually working on mini Moon rovers specifically for this purpose.

The idea is to send these rovers to the Moon ahead of a manned mission.

India makes history after becoming the first country to ever land on the South Pole of the Lunar surface.

India is now the fourth country to reach the Moon after the US, Russia, and China.

READ MORE: The most powerful telescope ever built by NASA can capture a galaxy from 4.6 BILLION years ago

The Moon landing was broadcast on national television in India, and the video was also shared on YouTube by India’s space agency ISRO.

India’s newest space craft, dubbed Chandrayaan-3, landed on the Moon’s South Pole which, according to experts, is the toughest place to reach and the hardest to land on.

Only Russia had made concrete steps to reach the Moon’s South Pole before, but the Russian craft crashed right before landing.

Several space agencies including NASA have detected frozen water in the craters located in the South Pole.

This is good news because it would automatically make this particular side of the Moon the prime candidate to support a permanent base on our Earth’s only natural satellite.

The idea is to create a base where astronauts and scientists can work from for extended periods of time.

The bad news is no space agency, not even NASA, has been able to confirm without a shadow of a doubt that frozen water is really present.

If confirmed there, the water could be used for a lot of things, from fuel to oxygen, and of course, we could drink it.

After a 50-year hiatus, the space race is back in full swing.

Every major superpower is trying to figure out a way to get back to the Moon and NASA is actually working on mini Moon rovers specifically for this purpose.

The idea is to send these rovers to the Moon ahead of a manned mission.