The 10,000-mile journey from the UK to Australia has long been regarded as one of the world’s most gruelling, with travellers typically spending between 22 and 27 hours in the air. But that could be cut to just three hours thanks to an ambitious new hypersonic aircraft being developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA). Called Invictus, the space plane is designed to travel at more than five times the speed of sound, allowing it to one day fly from London to Sydney in as little as three hours. Unlike a conventional aircraft, Invictus would take off from a normal runway before climbing to around 80,000 feet at the edge of the atmosphere. From there, it would accelerate to hypersonic speeds and race across the globe. Plans are in the works for a new hypersonic aircraft called Invictus, a space plane is designed to travel at more than five times the speed of soundIf the technology is successful, it could pave the way for the first commercial supersonic passenger aircraft since Concorde was retired in 2003. In its heyday, Concorde cut journey times significantly, but flights to Australia still took around 17 hours and required several refuelling stops.But before you start packing your swimwear and Factor 50, there’s a catch.Invictus is still in the design stage, with its first phase of development expected to be completed later this year, while small-scale engine tests are due to begin in 2027, followed by further trials later in the decade.The aircraft’s first flight is currently planned for 2034 at a lower speed, with full hypersonic testing expected by 2036.Initially, Invictus will be used to launch satellites into space rather than carry passengers. However, if the project proves successful, the same technology could eventually be used to power a new generation of ultra-fast commercial flights.Gordon Stevenson, director of aerospace testing site Spaceport Machrihanish, told Time Out London: ‘You could be in Sydney, Australia, in three hours. It depends on the speed at which it flies and the success of the technology, but it would be amazing, wouldn’t it?’James Cornish, space business development manager at Frazer-Nash, the project’s prime contractor, added: ‘While it is not a passenger aircraft, the technologies it proves could ultimately underpin much faster long-haul travel in future civil platforms.’If all goes to plan, the technology could bring three-hour flights to Australia a step closer. Clocking in at over five times the speed of sound, the Invictus aircraft aims to reduce air travel between London and Sydney (pictured) to a mere three hours In the meantime, plane journeys from the UK to Australia are about to become even speedier with ‘Project Sunrise’, the historic flight coming to the capital next year. From autumn next year, new direct flights – the first ever – will mean the journey between London Heathrow and Sydney could be as quick as 18h 7m.The new service, beginning in October 2027, will be on Qantas Airbus A350 planes specially fitted with extra-large fuel tanks to allow longer mileage without the need for refuelling.With current fastest journeys on offer including a stop for a connecting flight at around 21h 35m, according to Skyscanner, this will cut 3h 28m off journey times.It’s set to be a milestone in aviation history, along with a rethinking of human beings’ capacity to move around the planet. Tiresome connections on long-haul journeys to Down Under, as well as the likes of the South Pacific (if routes are extended by other carriers taking up the Airbus planes), will become a thing of the past.