Space agency
NASA and aerospace company Lockheed Martin have presented their experimental X-59 supersonic jet, which has a form designed to reduce the loudness of a sonic boom. According to the companies, the experimental aircraft was "designed to quiet the sonic boom" and marks a "significant milestone" in the decades-long research project aimed at resolving noise challenges associated with supersonic flight.
The aircraft, which has a cruising speed of 925 miles per hour, was presented for the first time last month by
Lockheed Martin's advanced development division Skunk Works.
"Lockheed Martin Skunk Works rolled out the X-59, a unique experimental aircraft designed to quiet the sonic boom, at a ceremony in Palmdale, California," said the company.
"The ceremony marked a significant milestone in Lockheed Martin and
NASA's decades-long journey to solve one of the most persistent challenges of supersonic flight – the sonic boom."
The 30.3-metre-long (99.7-feet) aircraft was designed to reduce the shockwaves and noise created when the sound barrier is broken – known as a sonic boom.
NASA and Lockheed Martin made the X-59 with a long tapered nose designed to separate the shock waves that cause sonic booms, thereby reducing the potential sound and damage risks associated with other supersonic aircraft models.
This design means that the cockpit, which has no front-facing windows and instead utilises high-resolution cameras that feed 4K monitors, is located almost halfway down the length of the aircraft.
The X-59 will now undergo a series of ground tests before completing its first flight later this year followed by acoustic tests. The companies hope that the research and technologies developed for the X-59 may be used to inform future designs of commercial supersonic aircraft.
"[The acoustic phase] will include flights over populated areas to provide US and international regulators with statistically valid data required to help approve new rules that could allow quiet commercial supersonic flight over land," the companies stated. "This would cut commercial flight times to half of what they are today, transforming travel for people around the world."