NASA and Lockheed Martin presented the experimental supersonic aircraft X-59

2024-01-13 08:55:21

The X-59 is being developed as part of the Questst mission, which aims to provide data that will help regulators reconsider a ban on commercial supersonic flights over land. For 50 years, the United States and other countries, NASA notes, have banned such flights due to noise in populated areas below. The X-59 is expected to fly at 1.4 times the speed of sound, or 1,488 km/h. Its design, shape and technology will allow the aircraft to reach such speeds while producing less noise, the publication says. The X-59’s tapered nose is nearly a third of its length and breaks up shock waves, with the engine mounted on top, NASA writes.