Boom has landed a slot on TIME’s Best Inventions of 2021 List, which recognizes companies, products and innovations that are changing the way we live, work, play, and think about what’s possible.
To assemble the 2021 list, TIME solicited nominations from its editors and correspondents around the world, as well as through an online application process. They then evaluated each contender on a number of key factors, including originality, creativity, efficacy, ambition and impact. The result: a list including an innovative, eco-friendly dye for jeans, a truly novel pasta shape, groundbreaking vaccines for COVID-19 and malaria—and Boom, which is building the world’s fastest and most sustainable supersonic airliner.
Earning a “landing slot” on TIME’s Best Inventions of 2021 List celebrates Boom’s mission to make the world dramatically more accessible by ushering in a new era of sustainable, supersonic commercial travel. The supersonic era will allow us to reshape how and where we spend our time, offering travelers more moments to enjoy life where it matters most. When flights take half the time, families can come together more often, entrepreneurs can explore more opportunities, businesses can connect more frequently with each other, scientists and visionaries can exchange more ideas, first responders can arrive on-site faster — and everyone can benefit.
With the development of Overture, Boom’s supersonic commercial airliner, and XB-1, Boom’s supersonic demonstrator, the company is leveraging more than fifty years of advancements in aerodynamics, materials, and propulsion to build economically and environmentally viable supersonic airplanes. Designed to operate on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Overture will seamlessly integrate into any airline’s current fleet.
Boom’s XB-1 demonstrator has served a vital purpose in the development of Overture, allowing the team to test supersonic design and technologies. As the first independently developed supersonic jet, XB-1 is a critical step in bringing sustainable supersonic flight to the world.
By applying the learnings of XB-1 to Overture, Boom is paving the way for more people to go more places more often, sustainably.
Boom anticipates flying XB-1 and breaking ground on Overture’s manufacturing facility in 2022, rolling out Overture in 2025, flying Overture in 2026, and carrying passengers by 2029.