NASA unveils silent supersonic aircraft

NASA for the first time introduced the complete version of the X-59 supersonic aircraft with a speed of 1,488 km/h and no noise.

The X-59 aircraft parked outside the Skunk Works facility. Photo: NASA — The X-59 aircraft parked outside the Skunk Works facility. Photo: *NASA*

After years of development, NASA and Lockheed Martin announced the completion of the X-59 Quesst (Quiet SuperSonic Technology) prototype aircraft on January 12 in front of a crowd of nearly 150 people at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, according to Space . NASA's newest X-plane, the X-59 is designed to break the sound barrier without the loud sonic boom that typically occurs when an aircraft flies faster than the speed of sound. Instead, the aircraft emits a much quieter sound, similar to the slamming of a car door. If successful, this jet has the potential to revolutionize supersonic flight in particular and aviation in general, according to Space .

As the X-59 leaves the hangar, the plane’s elongated beak-like nose is particularly striking, revealing that it lacks a forward-looking window. The X-59 is the result of decades of research, using a variety of innovative manufacturing methods including a new virtual reality system, automated drilling, and 3D modeling techniques. Notably, the lack of a forward-looking window helps reduce the sonic boom the vehicle produces. Instead, the X-59 is equipped with the eXternal Vision System (XVS), a system that includes cameras and displays in the cockpit that provide pilots with a virtual reality view of what’s ahead of the plane. This system has the potential to revolutionize aircraft design.

Jim Free, NASA's deputy administrator, emphasized that the X-59 is the latest in a series of X-planes that are intended to change the aviation industry. "Each X-plane has a unique purpose, to test new technology or aerodynamic ideas," Free said. "These unique aircraft push the boundaries of flight. Once they prove their concept, they often end up in museums. That's really what makes the X-59 different."

Free notes that once the X-59 is ready to fly, the vehicle will conduct multiple flights over select neighborhoods in the U.S. to collect data on how people on the ground experience and react to the sonic boom it creates. NASA will then use this information to seek commercial hypersonic flight certification from regulators like the Federal Aviation Administration. The ultimate goal is to make aviation more sustainable and fly faster over neighborhoods.

An Khang (According to Space )

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