Aircraft engines to power AI data centers

The company—best known for developing the first supersonic airliner since Concorde retired—is adapting its aircraft engine technology to fill a new role: generating on-site power for AI data centers. As these facilities confront rising electrical demand and strained grids, Boom is positioning its superpower turbine derived from its Symphony jet engine as a reliable and scalable solution.

Aircraft engines are designed to deliver sustained power under extreme thermal and operational conditions, producing predictable output with minimal margin for failure. Those same qualities are valuable where data centers, which must operate around the clock and cannot afford power interruptions under the demands now being placed on modern data infrastructure.

Boom's superpower turbine can maintain output even in environments exceeding 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and it does so without relying on water cooling. That makes the technology even more attractive in hot, dry regions where some data centers are built.

Traditional flight test programs that can take years. By developing and validating engine technology on the ground first, Boom can generate the same kind of operating data—and log tens of thousands of hours—faster. Ground-based systems allow engineers to run engines under sustained load, refine materials, and prepare for certification long before the first flight test. The data gathered feeds directly back into engine design, durability modeling, and manufacturing processes, accelerating the entire development cycle.

This model—earning revenue while validating core technology—could reshape how future aircraft engines are developed. If engines can be proved in industrial or other ground-based roles before taking to the air, that approach could eventually reduce development costs and timelines for new general aviation powerplants as well.