Credit NASA
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft is getting ready for its most important test flights yet. A supersonic flight.
The experimental X-plane is about to enter a new phase of testing that will include flying faster than the speed of sound for the first time and completing several key mission objectives.
After months of flight testing, the X-59 team reviewed its progress in late May and is now preparing for flights at higher altitudes and greater speeds. These tests will help engineers evaluate how the aircraft performs under the conditions needed for NASA’s Quesst mission, which aims to make quiet supersonic travel possible.
The team expects the X-59 to break the sound barrier for the first time in early June, flying at around 630 mph at 43,000 feet. Shortly afterward, it will complete a “mission conditions” flight, reaching Mach 1.4 (about 925 mph) at roughly 55,000 feet. These targets match the performance needed for future flights over U.S. communities, where NASA plans to gather public feedback on the aircraft’s quieter sonic “thump.”
Although the X-59 is designed to reduce the loud sonic boom normally associated with supersonic aircraft, these initial flights are focused on performance testing rather than demonstrating its quiet-flight technology.
Why it matters:
If successful, the X-59 could help remove restrictions on supersonic flight over land by proving that aircraft can fly faster than sound without creating disruptive sonic booms. This could pave the way for a new generation of commercial aircraft capable of dramatically reducing travel times while minimizing noise for people on the ground.
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