On the last Friday, January 12, NASA and Lockheed Martin formally introduced the X-59 silent supersonic aircraft. With this unique experiment, NASA aims to collect data that could revolutionize air travel, paving the way for a new generation of commercial aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound.
According to Pam Melroy: “This is a tremendous achievement possible only through the hard work and ingenuity of NASA and the entire X-59 team. (…) In just a few years, we went 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.” Melroy and other senior officials unveiled the aircraft during a ceremony in Palmdale, California.
X-59
The X-59 is at the center of the mission Quest of NASA, which focuses on providing data to help regulators reconsider rules prohibiting commercial supersonic flight over land. For 50 years, the USA and other nations banned their flights due to the noise disturbance caused. The X-59 is expected to fly at 1,4 times the speed of sound. Its design, model and technology are what will make it possible for the aircraft to reach these speeds while generating a quieter sonic chime.
“It’s exciting to consider the level of ambition behind Quesst and its potential benefits,” said Bob Pearce, associate for aeronautics research at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “NASA will share the data and technology we generate from this unique mission with regulators and industry. By demonstrating the possibility of silent commercial supersonic travel over land, we seek to open new commercial markets for U.S. companies and benefit travelers around the world.”
testing period
With deployment complete, the Quesst team will direct its next steps in preparation for first flight: integrated systems testing, engine runs and taxi testing for the X-59.
The aircraft is expected to take off for the first time later this year, followed by its first silent supersonic flight. The Quesst team will perform many of the aircraft's flight tests at Skunk Works before moving it to NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, which will serve as its base of operations.
Once NASA completes flight testing, the agency will fly the aircraft over several to-be-selected cities in the U.S., collecting information about the sound the X-59 generates and how people perceive it. NASA will provide this data to the Federal Aviation istration and international regulators.
