The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and U.S. aviation giant Boeing Company denied holding talks with Japan's space agency to develop a supersonic jet to succeed the British-French Concorde. “It's my understanding there is no discussion on that at this time with the Japanese,” NASA spokeswoman Melissa Mathews. She and Boeing spokeswoman Debbie Nomaguchi said separately that they were “not aware” of any plan to discuss a supersonic jet project. The Japanese business newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported Sunday that Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NASA would work out in June the details of a joint program to develop a low-noise, fuel-efficient supersonic jet. The two agencies would then launch joint research on the project in coming months, the article said. According to the newspaper, NASA and JAXA would form a consortium with Boeing and several Japanese aerospace companies. Japan and France agreed last year on conducting joint research on supersonic transportation, and any new project with the United States would help drive Japan into the global aviation market. Japanese companies succeeded last year in flying a small supersonic jet prototype, prompting NASA to inquire about a joint project, the newspaper said. There has been no supersonic jet in commercial use since the Concorde was retired in late 2003 after nearly 28 years in service. Japan reportedly seeks to develop an airplane that would travel at the same speed as the Concorde but would produce only one percent of the noise.
