"Permission Granted": Private Industry Pushing America's Leadership in Aerospace Innovation

When the wheels of Boom Supersonic's XB-1 lifted off the Mojave Desert runway earlier this week, it carried more than test pilot Tristan Brandenburg – it bore the weight of American ambition. As the sleek demonstrator pushed through Mach 1.1, it not only shattered the sound barrier, but as the first privately developed aircraft to go supersonic it defied decades of conventional wisdom about what private industry can achieve.

So, it is no surprise that Tuesday’s flight took place at the Mojave Air and Space Port, home to historic breakthroughs in aerospace and aviation.

“Permission granted.” That is the space port’s unofficial motto, Dr. David Smith, its CEO and General Manager told us earlier this week — a motto first ascribed to the spaceport by its former leader, Stu Witt.

And as we enter a boom age of aerospace and aviation innovation, this approach to accommodate and support next generation technologies and companies is needed to achieve our defense and economic priorities.

While this renaissance is taking off from places like Mojave, it has reverberations across the country. Boom's success validates a model of American industrial might that will define the next decade, one where Silicon Valley-minded speed meets heartland manufacturing muscle. Their planned facility in North Carolina, set to produce 66 Overture aircraft annually, represents exactly the kind of advanced manufacturing resurgence America needs.

Boom and it’s accompanying Mojave tenants (such as Stratolaunch), aren’t just building planes and aerospace innovations – they're building America’s competitive advantage. As China struggles to develop basic commercial aircraft that match current-generation Boeing and Airbus models, American innovation is already pushing toward the next frontier.

At the same time, America has fallen behind in its hypersonic capability. China has tested a hypersonic missile that nearly orbited the globe before returning to hit a target in China, and Russia has deployed them in its war against Ukraine.

Stratolaunch’s efforts to launch hypersonic vehicles are instrumental for America to catch up and reestablish its air, space, and military dominance. Other private companies are joining the effort too. Just one day after Boom’s flight in Mojave, startup Castelion announced $100 million in funding to build its hypersonic missile system.

This is how America wins: by unleashing private sector ingenuity, supporting domestic manufacturing, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. From Boom's supersonic achievement to Anduril's Arsenal-1, we're witnessing the dawn of a new golden age of American industrial and technological supremacy.

The sound barrier isn't the only one being broken by private industry – it's the barrier between what was and what will be. And just like when Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier, America is leading the way.

Thanks for reading and have a great day

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