IRIA News

NASA and Lockheed Martin have introduced the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft with a mission to revolutionize air travel and pave the way for commercial supersonic flights over cities.

The X-59 supersonic aircraft made its debut on January 12, 2024, at the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, where the plane was designed.

This one-of-a-kind experimental airplane will help NASA gather data that has the potential to set the stage for a new era of commercial aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound.

“This is a major accomplishment made possible only through the hard work and ingenuity from NASA and the entire X-59 team,” said NASA’s Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “In just a few short years we’ve gone from an ambitious concept to reality. NASA’s X-59 will help change the way we travel, bringing us closer together in much less time.”

Together with @LockheedMartin, we've unveiled our new X-59 supersonic plane. The X-59 will fly later this year on the #Quesst mission to test quieter sonic booms.

What we learn could reopen the skies to commercial supersonic air travel: https://t.co/RjK3CGoFWy pic.twitter.com/028hjyUNDU

— NASA (@NASA) January 12, 2024

Why is NASA building a quieter supersonic aircraft?

With this aircraft, NASA aims to solve the challenge of supersonic flight – the sonic boom. The X-59 has been designed to fly at supersonic speed without the disruptive sonic booms that are as loud as thunder or an explosion.

Sonic booms have long intrigued the aerospace industry. A sonic boom is the loud sound produced when an object travels through the air faster than the speed of sound, approximately 750 mph (1,200 kph) at sea level. This rapid movement creates shock waves that are heard as a loud, booming noise.

For the last 50 years, commercial supersonic travel over land has been banned by aviation regulators to protect people and buildings from sound and shock waves.

To address this issue with better engineering, NASA designed the X-59 to achieve faster speeds quietly. The aircraft will reduce the loudness of sonic booms to a gentle thump that is barely audible. The aircraft achieves this by separating the shock waves responsible for sonic booms, resulting in a quieter experience.

John Clark, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, said that his team was thrilled to take on this challenge alongside NASA to develop a quiet supersonic technology mission that “will have lasting, transformational impacts for people around the world.”

Key Features of X-59 Aircraft

Aerodynamics: With dimensions of 99.7 feet in length and 29.5 feet in width, the X-59’s shape and technological advancements enable quiet supersonic flight. The thin, tapered nose, comprising almost one-third of the aircraft’s length, breaks up shock waves, preventing traditional sonic booms.

Cockpit Innovation: The cockpit, located almost halfway down the aircraft’s length, does not have a forward-facing window. Instead, it features the eXternal Vision System, utilizing high-resolution cameras transmitting visuals to a 4K monitor within the cockpit.

Reducing loud sonic boom: The X-59 is a unique experimental plane expected to fly at the speed of Mach 1.4 or 925 mph. Despite its supersonic flight (faster than the speed of sound), its design and innovative technology will allow the aircraft to achieve high speeds while generating a quieter sonic thump.

Data Collection: The X-59 will soon fly over several cities across the U.S., collecting public feedback on the aircraft’s sound and perception. NASA will then share that data with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and international regulators to determine if supersonic commercial aviation over land should be legalized.

Unlocking commercial supersonic flights: The X-59, which is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, aims to provide data for regulators to reconsider rules restricting commercial supersonic flight over land. NASA intends to share the mission’s data and technology, showcasing the potential for quiet commercial supersonic travel to open new opportunities and benefit global travelers.

Experience the making of an X-59 plane in just 60 seconds! 🚀@NASA and @LockheedMartin rolled out the X-59, designed to quiet the sonic boom and revolutionize supersonic flight🚀🔇 pic.twitter.com/6inRVqOAaq

— IRIA (@IRIA_Research) January 13, 2024

The X-59 is set to fly over U.S. cities later in 2024, followed by its inaugural flight. Flight tests will begin at Skunk Works before transitioning to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, which will serve as the operational base. During the test flights, NASA aims to gather public perception data, advancing the prospect of quiet supersonic travel.

X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology to minimize the sonic booms

Explaining the configurations at the launch event, Pam Melroy said that the decision to make the aircraft quieter is an important step towards advancing aviation technology.

“As we unveil this technological marvel, it’s really important to understand the profound impact the X-59 holds for the aviation industry,” Melroy said. “Today, supersonic flight brings a thunderous boom. It is restricted across populated areas for good reason. And the X-59 is going to break that barrier.”

The X-59 plays a key role in NASA’s Quesst (Quiet SuperSonic Technology) mission, dedicated to gathering data for regulators to reconsider rules preventing commercial planes from going faster than the speed of sound over land and potentially open doors for efficient and noise-reduced supersonic commercial travel.

Sharing the details and ambition behind the Quesst project, Bob Pearce, associate administrator for aeronautics research at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said: “NASA will share the data and technology we generate from this one-of-a-kind mission with regulators and with industry. By demonstrating the possibility of quiet commercial supersonic travel over land, we seek to open new commercial markets for U.S. companies and benefit travelers around the world.”