Around the World in 120 Minutes

All aboard the Orient Express, but not until the 21st century

When President Reagan in his State of the Union address last week talked of a hypersonic jet that could fly from Washington to Tokyo in two hours, skeptics might have thought he was merely dreaming. In fact, the Pentagon and U.S. aerospace companies have been working for several years toward making that vision a reality. The proposed plane, already dubbed the Orient Express, would soar through the atmosphere into space and back, flying at up to 25 times the speed of sound. Though few experts think that the Orient Express will be ready ! for takeoff before the end of this...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!