Overview

• United Airlines Ventures announced an investment in Astro Mechanica on Aug. 20, with financial terms undisclosed and with other backers reported to include Andreessen Horowitz, Lowercarbon Capital, and Giant Step.
• Astro Mechanica describes Duality as an adaptive hybrid-electric engine designed to behave like a turbofan at takeoff, a turbojet at high subsonic speeds, and a ramjet at very high supersonic speeds.
• United and the company frame initial applications for military contexts, with commercial use presented as a longer-term objective.
• The firm cites potential for the first supersonic aircraft with true transpacific range, a claim that remains unproven pending prototype development and flight testing.
• The investment aligns with United’s broader supersonic strategy following its backing of Boom Supersonic’s Overture program.