Boom Supersonic XB-1 program to be carbon-neutral

Boom Supersonic officials announced that the company’s XB-1 test program will be fully carbon neutral by using sustainable aviation fuels and carbon offsetting. Boom integrates sustainability considerations into every major company decision and claims to be the first commercial airplane manufacturer to commit to a carbon-neutral test program. XB-1 is Boom’s supersonic demonstrator aircraft designed to prove inflight the key technologies for safe, efficient, and sustainable travel at supersonic speeds. Boom’s commitment covers all ground and flight testing performed throughout the XB-1 program’s lifetime.

“Since Boom’s founding, we’ve been on a mission to make the world dramatically more accessible through supersonic travel,” said Boom Founder and CEO Blake Scholl.  “With our commitment to a carbon-neutral XB-1 test program, we’re laying the groundwork for a sustainable supersonic future with Overture. [the company’s supersonic commercial jetliner].”

In June 2019, Boom announced its partnership with Prometheus Fuels, a developer of sustainable alternative fuels, to supply carbon-neutral jet fuel during the XB-1 test program. Prometheus’ technology economically removes CO₂ from the air and uses clean electricity to turn it into jet fuel. The electricity used in this process comes from renewable sources such as solar and wind, so there are no net carbon emissions from using the fuel.

In January 2019, Boom successfully conducted a series of ground tests, running XB-1 engines using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). These tests, powered by a blend of more than 80% sustainable fuel, gave the company the confidence that XB-1 can safely use SAF in future ground and test flights.

Additionally, in October 2019, Boom created a dedicated environmental and sustainability team, selecting Raymond Russell as its Head of Sustainability. Russell, a former Google Policy Fellow, has been a key player in Boom’s environmental policy and advocacy since 2017. He also represents Boom at technical working groups of the International Civil Aviation Organization Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (ICAO/CAEP), supporting evaluations of potential global environmental regulations for aviation. Russell and his team manage Boom’s sustainability partnerships and initiatives, including new opportunities for sustainability in aircraft design, sustainable aviation fuels, flight routing, and carbon offsetting.

“As a new entrant in aerospace, Boom is making sustainability a core tenet of our aircraft development program,” Russell said. “Thanks to today’s technology, supersonic travel is economically viable, and we are proud to ensure that it’s environmentally friendly as well.”

Boom is nearing completion of its XB-1 demonstrator civil supersonic aircraft. The design, build, and test phases of XB-1 are intended to inform the design of Overture, Boom’s supersonic commercial airliner, and lessons from XB-1 have already helped optimize Overture. XB-1 has a planned rollout in summer 2020.

Boom Supersonic has 30 aircraft on pre-order. Founded in 2014, Boom has assembled a team of more than 140 full-time employees who have made contributions to more than 139 air and spacecraft companies.