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2mo ago

Supersonic Jet Achieves 'Boomless' Flight in Landmark Test

Boom Supersonic's XB-1 jet broke the sound barrier without producing an audible sonic boom, marking a step forward for faster commercial air travel.

Ground-based NASA team used Schlieren photography to capture and visualize the shock waves created by XB-1's supersonic flight.
Specialized Schlieren photography, which shows air flow, was used by NASA to capture the sound waves as Boom Supersonic's XB-1 demonstrator aircraft broke the sound barrier on February 10, 2025.
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Tristan "Geppetto" Brandenburg is the chief test pilot for Boom Supersonic.

Overview

  • Boom Supersonic's XB-1 jet successfully completed its second supersonic test flight on February 10, 2025, reaching speeds exceeding Mach 1.
  • NASA used Schlieren photography to capture shock waves around the jet, visually confirming the groundbreaking 'boomless' supersonic flight.
  • Microphones along the flight path confirmed that the sonic boom created by the XB-1 did not reach the ground, thanks to the Mach cutoff technique.
  • The technology, if scaled, could enable Boom's future Overture airliner to reduce U.S. coast-to-coast flight times by up to 90 minutes.
  • While the test demonstrates technical feasibility, the economic and regulatory challenges of commercial supersonic travel remain unresolved.