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.
- 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.