Supersonic jet flew twice as high as planes and tracked cosmic storms
The supersonic Concorde jet flew at such high altitudes that it required specialized radiation monitoring to protect passengers from cosmic storms. Pilots were trained to descend to lower altitudes if radiation sensors detected dangerous levels of solar activity.
Why it matters
This highlights the unique engineering and safety challenges faced by high-altitude supersonic travel during the 20th century.
British-French supersonic jet Concorde flew so close to the edge of space that it had to carry a special radiation meter to monitor dangerous cosmic storms. If the cockpit instrument sounded an alarm, the only way pilots could protect wealthy passengers from high levels of space radiation was to leave Mach 2 behind and descend into the thicker air below. For context: Mach 1 ≈ 1,235 km/h (767 mph) Mach 2 ≈ 2,470 km/h (1,535 mph).Flying at 60,000 feet, almost twice as high as normal passenger aircraft, the British-French jet operated above about 95 per cent of the Earth’s atmosphere. Passengers enjoyed views of the planet’s curve against a dark sky, but the aircraft’s four Olympus engines pushed it beyond the speed of sound.
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