"Navigating the Trials of Hypersonic Flight"

Researchers are exploring the challenges of steering hypersonic planes, which travel at more than five times the speed of sound, through plasma using magnetohydrodynamics to manipulate the flow pattern of electrically charged particles. Conventional control surfaces are not viable due to the forces and heat involved, prompting the need for a different approach. Dr. Hisham Ali and his team are building a plasma wind tunnel to test these ideas, with potential applications in spacecraft deceleration and military missile guidance. The feasibility of hypersonic passenger flight remains uncertain, but the research represents a step towards this possibility.