Boom Pivots to Power

Until just three years ago Boom Supersonic expected a third party to deliver the engines for its aircraft. Then came Symphony, born out of necessity, with no established suppliers willing to take on the task. And now, in a major pivot to grab some cash, Boom intends to sell its Symphony engines to power data centers, not airplanes.

One outlet called it “a stunning example of survival, strategy, and timing.” Others have taken a far more pragmatic approach, noting that everything except the cash infusion is speculative. But what does it mean for the chances of supersonic commercial flight?

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Selling the Future

The deal calls for 29 engines/generators to be delivered to Crusoe, an AI-focused data center operator, beginning in 2027. That’s a bold target given neither the system nor its manufacturing facility exists today.

Symphony remains in development, the latest Boom effort to see its timeline slip from prior promises. In February the company stated a “goal to be making thrust on those engines around the end of this year.” Today that has shifted to 2026, with “95% of the parts that make up Boom’s Symphony engine core prototype in manufacturing.”

The power generation version boasts 80% part commonality with the aircraft version, according to the company. So even there it requires shifting focus to keep moving forward.

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A Financial Bridge

The power supply deal was key in Boom securing a $300 million Series B round of funding. That cash “fully funds Symphony engine development,” according to the company. Founder and CEO Blake Scholl takes that position a step further, arguing “With this financing and our first order for Superpower, Boom is funded to deliver both our engine and our airliner.”

Building and certifying Overture will require billions of dollars. The contract for the 29 generators is tipped at $1.25 billion, and not all of that is profit.

There’s also a question of whether Crusoe has the cash to buy the power systems, and the longevity to still need them by the time they’re available. Crusoe closed a $1.375 billion round in October 2025. This contract would consume 90% of that cash. And Crusoe is committed to fanciful expansion goals, including plans for orbital data centers. That the company cites improved cooling performance as one advantage of its space-based solution, counter to the position of physicists the world over, is telling.

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Boom expects the turbine business to grow, scaling up to 100 generation engines delivered annually by 2030. That company says revenue from those sales will finance the development and certification of Overture. The numbers don’t really add up, but that’s part and parcel for Boom’s progress so far.

Tough Timing

Boom has long held that it will deliver aircraft for passenger travel by 2029. Presumably that’s tied to its airline contracts, which include clauses about meeting “industry-standard operating, performance and safety requirements” (i.e. certification) and delivery schedules.

The power generation revenue won’t show up in volume in time to fund the company’s repeatedly mooted 2029 passenger flight targets, assuming it shows up at all.

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Presumably delivering the engines for power generation is easier than doing so for aircraft propulsion. That’s great news for Boom, which never really addressed the regulatory or financial challenges it faces in getting a commercial aircraft into production. And the money is necessary for short-term survival, though not nearly enough to make airplanes. Whether it is even enough to deliver the engines remains to be seen.

Boom skipped the Paris Air Show earlier this year, with a company spokesperson sharing “the team is fully focused on building the Symphony engine and Overture airliner at this time.”

Just months later the company had a booth at NBAA in Las Vegas, touting the potential for supersonic private jets. It wanted someone to license its (still very much in development) technology, not build them directly. Perhaps a small distraction from developing Symphony and Overture, but at least it was still in the same industry. And now this.

When challenged on these topics Scholl has consistently performed a Wizard of Oz bit, suggesting everything will simply be solved as the company progresses, but without an obvious plan to do so.

Constantly selling the next thing, while not delivering on prior promises is a trend lately in certain circles. It generates plenty of buzz and occasionally even the funding necessary to keep inching forward. But it sure is tiring to watch.

More of Boom's winding path to supersonic flight

• An investment Boom from Japan Airlines
• Engine selection “core” to Boom Supersonic’s success
• Boom’s supersonic timing slips
• PaxEx Update: FTE Asia edition
• Behind the scenes with Boom Supersonic
• Supersonic sound standards set; Boom schedule slips
• Boom Supersonic picks an engine manufacturer (for further discussions)
• Virgin Galactic makes a move in supersonic travel
• United Airlines plans supersonic Boom with new order
• Boom fires up the engines on XB-1 supersonic demonstrator
• Boom building at Greensboro, new environmental concerns revealed
• Boom Overture adds engines in design revamp
• American Airlines buys in to Boom, despite significant uncertainties
• Boom plans new Symphony supersonic engine design
• XB-1 takes flight, beginning path to supersonic
• XB-1 Goes Supersonic, Retires from Service
• Boom Pivots to Power