NASA and Lockheed Martin Unveil “Silent” Supersonic Plane
NASA and the American military company Lockheed Martin have unveiled their “silent” supersonic plane after six years of development. The X-59, as it has been coded, is designed to fly at 1.4 times the speed of sound or about 1,480 km/h, breaking the barrier of thunderous supersonic booms.
Pam Melroy, NASA deputy administrator, stated, “Today supersonic flights bring with them a thunderous supersonic boom. Those of us who live in the area are familiar with this sound. But what that means is that it is restricted in populated areas, rightly so. And the X-59 is going to break that barrier. Meticulously designed, it produces a smooth hit. A mere whisper compared to the disturbing booms of the past.”
The X-59 measures 30 meters long and 9 meters wide and has a thin, sharp nose that takes up almost a third of its length. NASA says the pointed nose will help break up shock waves that normally result in a sonic boom, a sound similar to an explosion or thunder to the human ear, caused by an object traveling through the air faster than the speed of sound.
NASA launched the Quesst mission in 2018 to develop a supersonic aircraft that generates less noise than a conventional supersonic aircraft. “In just a few years we have gone from an ambitious concept to reality. NASA’s X-59 will help change the way we travel, bringing us closer to each other in much less time,” Melroy says in a press release.
For 50 years, the United States and other countries have banned these types of flights because of the loud noise they cause. The mission is expected to provide data that will help US lawmakers reconsider the ban on overland flights.
“If flying with commercial supersonic aircraft becomes possible, travel time will be drastically reduced, NASA claims. “This advancement truly redefines the viability of commercial supersonic flight over land. It brings us closer to a future we can all understand, cutting the flight time from New York to Los Angeles in half,” Melroy said.
The plane is set to take off for the first time later this year. Once NASA completes flight testing, the agency will fly over several US cities, with the first takeoff planned for later this year. This advancement in supersonic travel has the potential to revolutionize air travel and make distances much more manageable.