NASA Rolls Out X-59 Quiet Supersonic Demonstrator
NASA has finally revealed the X-59 quiet supersonic technology (Quesst) demonstrator aircraft that the agency says will pave the way for commercial supersonic flight over land. The space agency unveiled the X-59 on Friday during a public ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility near NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, California. Lockheed has been developing the X-59 for NASA’s low-boom flight demonstration mission since 2016.
For more than 50 years, supersonic aircraft have been prohibited from flying over the U.S. and other countries due to the noise pollution associated with the loud sonic boom that happens when an aircraft breaks the sound barrier. According to NASA, the X-59 will produce a significantly quieter “thump” than a sonic boom, which makes it more suitable for flying over populated areas.
