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New priorities in aircraft design are mapped out into an integrated holistic solution: an improved Green Taxiing system focused around the landing gear. The latter is streamlined through the use of fairings which also serve as landing gear doors. During the final approach phase, electric motors are used to rotate the wheels to the appropriate speed so as to reduce stress during touchdown. Energy, normally dissipated in heat, is collected in supercapacitors and used to power the aircraft subsystems for Green Taxiing. Titanium Matrix Composite is used to compensate additional weight. Super-capacitors power the aircraft during start and accelerations with engines turned off. For steady speed phase, the APU is used. An average 10 dB noise reduction is expected as well as a 4% decrease in operating costs and a 6% decrease in fuel consumption for a typical A320 mission.

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The general enthusiasm aroused by space tourism combined with the great technological achievement of Scaled Composites with the SpaceShipOne in 2004 initiated a new era: suborbital space tourism. As of today, most of the vehicles have been designed for performance, combining the most advanced technologies from both aeronautics and astronautics. Nevertheless, in order to become viable, vehicles must be safe enough to carry paying passengers and they must match the increasing demand. Thus, the implementation of a new design process based on adapted requirements led to a new vehicle. The latter is mainly powered by newly designed hybrid rocket engines but it also makes use of turbofans for the first segment of the climb and a safe powered landing. It takes-off and lands horizontally and is able to carry up to eight passengers and two pilots to an altitude of 109 km. The micro-gravity experienced by the passengers lasts approximately 4 minutes while the maximum load factor is reduced to 3.3 g in order to improve the passenger experience.

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