How would you like to fly from Sydney to London in just two hours?

David Waterhouse, the 192nd person I’ve met on my quest to have lunch with 500 strangers, says it will be possible in a decade.

Dave is the co-founder of Hypersonix Launch Systems, a company that is developing affordable, sustainable space flight technology.

Affordable because the aircraft will be reusable; and sustainable because the aircraft will be powered by clean hydrogen fuel.

Hypersonix’s aircraft will be ‘hypersonic’ – that is they will fly at more than five times the speed of sound. The company expects to make its first flight in 2023.

Initially, Hypersonix’s technology will be used to deliver satellites to space. But Dave says it won’t be long before the same technology is used to fly people from one side of the world to the other in just a few hours.

Dave has spent his career working in the space and telecommunications industries. One of his formative experiences came in 1989, when he studied at the International Space University and built relationships with people who would go on to achieve leadership roles in the space industry and related sectors.

Not that Dave has spent his entire life working. For a while, he was retired, and spent two years sailing around the world. But when his wife fell pregnant, they realised it was time to return to shore. And, eventually, Dave got bored of retirement and was drawn back to work.

As you can imagine, Dave is fascinating company and has a tremendous ability to make you see a better future that lies just around the corner. 

I’m looking forward to the day when I can fly to London to have lunch with a stranger and make it home in time for dinner.