China is testing a supersonic plane

China is currently testing a supersonic plane that is even faster than the legendary Concorde, and could transport passengers from Beijing to New York in less than two hours.

It has been more than 20 years since the legendary Concorde last flew, but China may be about to introduce its successor. Beijing-based Space Transportation is working on a supersonic plane that is faster than NASA’s Son of Concorde.

In tests, the plane’s engine has reached speeds of Mach 4, or 4,900 kilometers per hour, four times the speed of sound, at altitudes of more than 20 kilometers, the South China Morning Post reports.

That is twice as fast as Concorde’s top speed (Mach 2, or 2,153 kilometers per hour) and three times as fast as NASA’s Son of Concorde (1,508 kilometers per hour).

“This engine has significant commercial potential for high-speed flight in near-space environments,” Space Transportation said in a statement.

The successful test flight is a major milestone in the development of the Yunxing supersonic civil aircraft, which will carry passengers from Beijing to New York in less than two hours.