ORLANDO, Fla. — Imagine being able to travel from New York to London in under 15 minutes. Sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, right?
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But thanks to researchers at the University of Central Florida, this dream of the future may soon become a reality.
Dr. Kareem Ahmed, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, is the director at UCF.
“Hypersonic technology has the potential to change the way we travel and explore space,” Dr. Ahmed said. “We are working on developing an engine that will generate incredible thrust and allow us to reach incredible speeds.”
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UCF just launched a new research center called the Hyperspace Center. The center focuses on developing technology that can propel vehicles to incredible speeds of 13,000 miles per hour. This type of technology is called hypersonic, and it could revolutionize the way we travel both on Earth and in space.
So how does it work? Well, it’s a bit complicated, but essentially hypersonic technology involves using a powerful engine to accelerate a vehicle to speeds much faster than sound. Think of it like a supercharged rocket.
The Hyperspace Center is working on creating these powerful engines. They are experimenting with different designs and materials to make them as efficient and reliable as possible. If successful, it could usher in a new era of high-speed travel.
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But it’s not just fast travel. Hypersonic technology could also be used for space exploration. It could help us reach distant planets and asteroids much faster than we currently do.
UCF’s Hyperspace Center is a major project, and the U.S. Air Force is a key partner in this research, providing funding and expertise. We also learned that the U.S. Department of Defense has provided more than $20 million in funding to support Dr. Ahmed’s research here at UCF.
This is a major step forward in the development of hypersonic technology. If they succeed, it could change the way we travel forever.
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