The Concorde failed, at Mach 2. Its sonic-boom distracted the people living around the aeroports, so - from circa 1970 on - it was allowed to hit that speed only over the ocean - limiting its range. The real problem was cost. Yeah you saved some flight-hours on the crew. But the crew wasn't that large given that the passenger-manifest was smaller. The issue here was fuel.
Rolls-Royce and Mr "Virgin" Branson have a plan for a Mach 3. It fires higher into atmo at 18 km; the boom, at that height, isn't so loud on the ground. As we've learnt from the ramjets the higher up you are, the faster you go - in fact, the faster you must go, to get the airflow-pressure.
This third-version fast 'plane carries even fewer passengers than the Concorde but, they think, it's less fuel per passenger than in that - might as well call it, the Mark Two (after the Tu-144, also doomed; let us not speak of the Boeing 2707).
They'd sell it to the private-jet set I guess. I can see governments wanting in on this. Maybe not the largest governments: Air Force One is pretty much a flying West Wing, so don't mind the longer flight times.
GLWT 8/12: Branson in trouble. That's telling me that the announcement came out to shore up the stock-price. That is: it's early. I don't doubt the science but I do doubt Virgin Galactic's ability to deliver. Rolls Royce may need to buy out the stake. The question is - when.
MOAR POWAH 5/17/21: We got thrust! - although impulse is still unobtainium.
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