Historic Flight: NASA Successfully Tests Quiet Supersonic X-59 Aircraft Over California Desert
Kyiv • UNN
NASA's experimental supersonic X-59 aircraft completed its first test flight over the Southern California desert, reaching subsonic speeds. This is a key step in developing technology for future quiet supersonic passenger travel.
NASA's experimental supersonic aircraft X-59, built by Lockheed Martin, made its first test flight over the Southern California desert. This is a key step in developing technology that will allow the resumption of supersonic passenger travel in the future without the noisy sonic boom. This was reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
The sleek, single-engine aircraft, about 30 meters long, took off from the runway of the Skunk Works factory in Palmdale about an hour after sunrise. After gaining altitude, the X-59 headed towards Edwards Air Force Base, where it successfully landed an hour later near NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center. It was accompanied by an agency chase plane.
According to Lockheed Martin, during its first flight, the X-59 reached a subsonic speed of about 370 km/h and an altitude of 3660 meters.
X-59 successfully completed its first flight this morning
At the controls was NASA's lead test pilot, Nils Larson. The flight was observed by about 200 aviation industry employees and their families, who watched the takeoff from a safe distance along the highway.
The X-59's uniqueness lies in its unique shape, which minimizes the explosive sonic boom that usually occurs when breaking the sound barrier. Designers have developed a streamlined body that transforms the sharp roar into a soft "sonic thump," no louder than a car door slamming.
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The X-59 project is part of NASA's "Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator" program, which aims to pave the way for quiet supersonic commercial flights. According to the agency, since 2018, NASA has invested more than $518 million in the development and demonstration of this model.
As Lockheed Martin notes, the X-59 will serve as a platform for future tests, during which NASA plans to measure noise levels and public reaction to prove that supersonic flights can become part of everyday air travel without harming the comfort of people on the ground.
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