NASA and Lockheed Martin reveal X-59 supersonic aircraft designed to make sonic booms quieter

X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft
NASA and Lockheed Martin have rolled out the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft. (Image Credit: NASA)

NASA and Lockheed Martin have officially introduced the X-59 — an innovative supersonic aircraft designed to make sonic booms quieter and revolutionize supersonic flight.

The X-59 aims to revolutionize air travel by gathering data for a new generation of commercial aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound.

The aircraft was unveiled on January 12, 2024, at a ceremony held in Palmdale, California. The rollout ceremony celebrated technical advancements and innovation following years of research, development, and production of a one-of-a-kind technology to reduce the loudness of sonic booms to a gentle thump.

X-59 — From vision to reality in a few years

“This is a major accomplishment made possible only through the hard work and ingenuity from NASA and the entire X-59 team,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “In just a few short years we’ve gone 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.”

John Clark, vice president and general manager, of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, said that his team was thrilled to take on the supersonic technology challenge alongside NASA. “This project is just one example of the broader ingenuity of our industry as we continually strive to push the envelope of what’s possible.”

NASA and Lockheed Martin formally introduced the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft
NASA and Lockheed Martin formally introduced the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft on January 12, 2024, at the Palmdale, California facility of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. (Image Credit: Lockheed Martin/Garry Tice)

Greg Ulmer, executive vice president, of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, expressed pride in everyone who contributed to making this historic moment possible. “The entire X-59 team leaned into the expertise of both legendary organizations, NASA and Lockheed Martin, to ensure success for this program”, he said.

Why build a quieter supersonic aircraft?

The X-59 is central to NASA’s Quesst (Quiet SuperSonic Technology) mission, which focuses on providing data to help regulators reconsider rules that prohibit commercial planes from flying faster than the speed of sound (going supersonic) over land due to disruptive sonic booms that are about as loud as thunder or an explosion. The X-59 aims to overcome this limitation, potentially paving the way for efficient and quiet supersonic commercial travel.

The X-59 is an experimental supersonic aircraft shaped to reduce the loudness of a sonic boom. The plane accomplishes this by separating the shock waves that produce sonic booms, making them quieter.

X-59 in flight
Artist illustration of the X-59 in flight. (Credit: NASA)

Key Features of X-59

The single-seat X-59 will be 99.7 feet long, 29.6 feet wide, and will cruise at an altitude of 55,000 feet while moving at a speed of Mach 1.4 or 925 mph.

  1. Supersonic Quiet Flight: Capable of flying at 1.4 times the speed of sound, the X-59 features cutting-edge technology to transform loud sonic booms into a quiet thump. X-59 is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound while minimizing noise disruption, achieving a barely-audible ‘sonic thump’.
  2. Designed to reduce sonic booms: With a length just shy of 100 feet, it has a distinctive long nose, taking up around a third of its overall length. It has an elongated shape and engine mounted on top to minimize the shock waves that cause a sonic boom.
  3. Innovative Cockpit Design: Positioned nearly halfway along the aircraft’s length, the cockpit breaks from tradition by eliminating a forward-facing window. Instead, it features the eXternal Vision System – a sophisticated array of high-resolution cameras transmitting visuals to a 4K monitor within the cockpit.
  4. Data Gathering: Scheduled to fly over U.S. cities in 2024, the X-59 will aid NASA in collecting public perception data related to the quieter ‘sonic thump’. This data could bring us one step closer to quiet supersonic travel for passengers.
  5. Future of Supersonic Travel: The X-59, which has been under development since 2016, could lead to a new era of supersonic commercial travel, reducing flight times and enhancing efficiency. Data collected from the X-59 may pave the way for future commercial supersonic flight over land, offering faster travel times.
  6. Experimental Plane: As an X-plane, the X-59 follows a tradition of U.S. experimental aircraft testing new technologies and draws inspiration from iconic X-planes like the Bell X-1, X-15, and X-29, each contributing to the advancement of supersonic flight.
NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft can reach a speed of Mach 1.4
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft can reach a speed of Mach 1.4 or 925 mph/1,500 km/h. (Image Credit: NASA)

What’s next?

The aircraft will complete ground tests including engine-run and taxi tests before its next major milestone, its first flight, later in 2024. After successful initial flight tests, it will move into the acoustic testing phase which will include flights over populated areas to gather valid data required to help approve commercial supersonic flight over land.

NASA aims to lift the 50-year ban on civilian supersonic aircraft using the X-59. By gathering crucial data, the aircraft will assist regulators in reconsidering rules prohibiting supersonic flights over land due to their loud sonic booms, which exceed 100 decibels and can even break windows in nearby buildings.

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