NASA Readies Its Quiet Supersonic Jet for a Noise Test Later This Year
NASA's X-59 experimental supersonic jet has completed its 25th test flight, reaching speeds of Mach 1.2. The agency is preparing for an acoustic validation phase to confirm the aircraft's ability to fly supersonically without creating a loud sonic boom.
Why it matters
Successful testing of the X-59 could pave the way for the return of commercial supersonic flight by mitigating noise pollution concerns.
NASA’s experimental supersonic jet recently completed its 25th flight, racking up some serious miles in the air before its noise levels are put to the test.
The X-59 took off from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California on August 21 for the latest in a series of successful test runs. The aircraft flew for a total of 72 minutes, reaching a speed of Mach 1.2 and an altitude of approximately 49,000 feet (14 kilometers), according to NASA .
Like all of its previous test flights, the aircraft was accompanied by a NASA F-15 chase plane for monitoring. The chase plane’s sonic booms drowned out any noise produced by the X-59, but that won’t be the case much longer. NASA is finally preparing to evaluate the experimental aircraft’s much quieter noises later this year, putting its innovative technology to the real test.
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