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NASA and Lockheed Martin Unveil Quiet Supersonic Aircraft X-59

The experimental plane, designed to travel faster than sound without a sonic boom, is set for its first flight later this year.

The first reveal of NASA's X-59 supersonic plane onstage at the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California.
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NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits on the apron outside Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility at dawn in Palmdale, California. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to address one of the primary challenges to supersonic flight over land by making sonic booms quieter. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works
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Overview

  • NASA and Lockheed Martin have unveiled the X-59, a new quiet supersonic aircraft, designed to travel at 1.4 times the speed of sound without creating a disruptive sonic boom.
  • The X-59's unique design, including a thin, tapered nose and a cockpit located halfway down the length of the plane, is intended to break up shockwaves that cause sonic booms in conventional aircraft.
  • The aircraft will undergo integrated systems testing, engine runs, and taxi testing before its first flight, which is scheduled for later this year.
  • Following flight testing, NASA plans to fly the X-59 over selected cities in the U.S. to gather feedback on the sound it produces and how people perceive it.
  • The data collected will be provided to the Federal Aviation Administration and international regulators, potentially paving the way for the re-evaluation of regulations prohibiting commercial supersonic flights over land.