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Space startup Destinus, founded by the former owner of Technosila Mikhail Kokorich, raised $29 million in investments
What’s going on
- The space startup Destinus, founded by the ex-owner of the Technosila chain of stores, Mikhail Kokorich, has raised $29 million to develop and test an innovative hypersonic aircraft.
- Among the investors are the Swiss investment company Conny & Co, the American companies Liquid2 Ventures, Quiet Capital, Cathexis Ventures and One Way Ventures, as well as Geneva-based Ace & Company.
- Destinus plans to build an unmanned aircraft powered by a combined turbojet hydrogen engine, described by the company’s founder as “a hybrid between an aircraft and a rocket.”
- The device takes off like an airplane, and at the right height it turns on a jet engine, flying out of the atmosphere.
- It is assumed that this vehicle will be used to transport goods – logistics companies and airlines can become potential clients of the startup.
- The startup plans to present the first prototype as early as 2022 — a small plane the size of a bus will be able to deliver 1-10 tons of cargo.
What does it mean
Supersonic and hypersonic aviation is gaining momentum – aircraft from Leap Aerospace, Boom Supersonic, Lockheed Martin will soon take to the skies. In just three hours of flight, passengers will be able to get from London to New York: this is a little more than getting from the Moscow region to the center of the capital during rush hour.
Supersonic technology will revolutionize not only civil aviation, but also global logistics. While companies around the world are developing aircraft that resemble the French Concorde or the Soviet Tu-144, Destinus goes even further and creates a hybrid of an aircraft and a rocket. As noted on the official website of the company, this device “combines the technological achievements of a space plane with the simple physics of a glider to create a vehicle that meets the requirements of a hyperconnected world.”