NASA's futuristic new aircraft sparks quiet supersonic revolution with pioneering flight

NASA's X-59 Quiet Technology aircraft successfully completed its first flight, a significant step towards enabling commercial supersonic travel over land. The aircraft, designed to reduce sonic booms to a quiet level comparable to a car door closing, flew 185 miles from Palmdale, California, to Edwards Air Force Base. This groundbreaking flight verifies the aircraft's initial performance and air data systems, paving the way for further testing. The X-59, developed under NASA's Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator program, features a unique elongated design to minimize disruptive shockwaves associated with supersonic flight. This technology aims to overcome the restrictions previously placed on supersonic aircraft like Concorde, which were banned from flying over land due to noise pollution. With this successful first flight, NASA is advancing its Quesst mission, with the X-59 scheduled for up to 1,600 flights over the next three years. The data collected will be used to inform regulators, potentially leading to the lifting of overland supersonic flight bans and opening a new era of faster air travel. The project, involving Lockheed Martin, builds on... download the app to read more