NASA's 'low-boom' supersonic X-plane will take off soon
Despite having the technology for supersonic travel for decades, we don't have a single plane that could fly passengers at speeds exceeding that of sound (343 m/sec). The problem ties to the menacing, window-shattering noise that comes with such flights. But, the good news is, NASA is finally inching closer to a solution: a quiet supersonic jet dubbed X59. Here's all about it.
X59 to fly supersonic without ear-splitting noise
At present, when a plane goes supersonic, it displaces air molecules at such a high speed that an ear-splitting shockwave, a sonic boom, spreads across all directions and harms those on the ground. However, the upcoming X59, which is NASA's first experimental aircraft (X-plane) in decades, aims to tackle this problem with an improved design that would minimize the shockwave and the associated noise.
Supersonic air travel is banned over land
Owing to sonic booms, supersonic jets are banned from flying over populated regions. In fact, the last commercial supersonic jet that flew over land was the Concorde. It flew at over Mach 2 and was restricted to flying over oceans before being grounded in 2003.
How the new plane will minimize sonic booms?
NASA says that X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft, when ready, will make supersonic flight almost silent by reducing the loudness of a sonic boom reaching the ground to that of a gentle thump. The plane will use a swept-wing design which would disperse the shockwaves across a wide range of points behind it and reduce the noise output by a significant margin.
First low-boom flight to happen in 2021
NASA has already tested the feasibility of its design with a small-scale version of the X59 jet. The agency recently received necessary approvals to move the work into the phase and begin the assembly of a piloted, large-scale model of the craft. It hopes that the plane would be ready by late 2020 and will achieve its first quiet supersonic flight in 2021.
In 2021, the X-plane will fly over select populated regions
"It [X59] will be flown above select U.S. communities to generate data from sensors and people on the ground in order to gauge public perception," NASA said about the first flight planned for 2021.
The tests will eventually pave way for commercial supersonic travel
The work with X59 will begin a new era of commercial air travel. Essentially, it will guide the development and approval of 'low-boom' planes capable of flying passengers at the speed of sound and cutting flight times by almost half. "That data [from test flights] will help regulators establish new rules to enable commercial supersonic air travel over land," NASA emphasized in its statement.
