NASA and Lockheed Martin have carried out the first test flight of their X-59 supersonic aircraft.
Lockheed Martin said the X-59 performed “exactly as planned” on its test flight from its Skunk Works facility in Palmdale to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, this week. This follows taxi testing in Palmdale earlier this year.
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NASA unveiled the X-59 last year as part of its broader Questst mission and hopes it will become the first supersonic aircraft that doesn’t generate a sonic boom.
“We are delighted to conduct the first flight of the X-59,” said OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works.
“This aircraft is a testament to the innovation and expertise of our joint team, and we are proud to be at the forefront of developing quiet supersonic technology.”
Technological advances are enormously significant, given that non-military aircraft are forbidden to fly faster than the speed of sound on earth, a rule that contributed to the early retirement of the Concorde.
According to Lockheed Martin, the plane can reduce the boom to a quieter “thump” – compared to closing a car door – because its tapered nose breaks the shock waves traditionally created when a plane overcomes the sound barrier.
“The successful development and flight testing of the
While the initial test flight was not supersonic, Lockheed Martin and NASA hope to expand the X-59’s flight range in the coming months, including supersonic flights to “achieve the optimal speed and altitude for silent boom.”
“This will allow NASA to operate the X-59 to measure its sound signature and conduct community acceptance testing,” Lockheed Martin said.
The test was welcomed by US Transportation Secretary and Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, who called the X-59 “a symbol of American ingenuity.”
“The American spirit knows no limits. It’s part of our DNA: the desire to go further, faster and even quieter than anyone before,” he said.
“This work sustains America’s place as a leader in aviation and has the potential to change the way the public flies.”
Several other companies have been working to produce a viable commercial supersonic aircraft, including Boom, whose XB-1 (or Baby Boom) prototype in January completed what the manufacturer said was the first piloted supersonic flight of a commercial airliner since Concorde.
