The return of supersonic planes could mean serious pollution problems

Get the Full StorySupersonic travel died out in 2003, when the last 100-passenger Concorde jet settled down on a London runway.

The costly planes were doomed by their speed: The jets created sonic booms when they broke the 767 mph sound barrier, sending thunderous rumbles to the land below. For this reason, supersonic planes have long been banned from flying over land, ultimately making the jets unprofitable.

But a decade and a half later, supersonic planes are threatening to return, and while the speeding aircraft may vastly reduce travel times, they could also bring heavy loads of pollution to the skies.

SEE ALSO: A landmark climate change ruling could go up in smoke after Justice Kennedy retires Read more...More about Nasa, Science, Transportation, Airplanes, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Share: