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The X-59 taxis across the runway at Plant 42 in California. (NASA, Carla Thomas)
NASA’s ‘Son of Concorde’ rises again
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NASA has been strangely tetchy on the progress of its supersonic aircraft since its unveiling last year at Lockheed Martin’s super-secretive Skunk Works facility in the Mojave Desert. Known as the X-59, the experimental plane represents a literal quiet revolution for aviation. Current regulations prohibit non-military aircraft from flying faster than the speed of sound over land due to the sonic boom created a problem that led to the demise of the Concorde.
NASA, though, believes its new vehicle can mitigate this issue by producing only a soft “thump,” likened to the sound of a car door closing. This is made possible by its elongated, pointy nose, which disrupts the shockwaves that normally accompany supersonic flight.
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