At COOL we are constantly showing you the most avant-garde and unique launches in the aviation market. And although NASA has us eager to learn about its new launch of the manned spacecraft, known as Starliner, together with the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing, its most recent launch deserves a special mention. NASA has presented a new supersonic jet that has eliminated strong sonic booms. But not only that, but It will also allow you to make trips in less time. For example, if the duration of a New York-Madrid journey is 7 hours, this new jet will be able to transport its travelers in no more than 3 hours. This supersonic jet designed by NASA has been named X-59.
The new silent supersonic plane
“Nowadays supersonic flights bring with them a thunderous supersonic boom. Those of us who live in the area are familiar with this sound,” said Pam Melroy, NASA deputy administrator. “But what that means is that it is restricted in populated areas, rightly so. AND the X-59 is going to break that barrier. Meticulously designed, it produces a smooth hit. “A mere whisper compared to the disturbing booms of the past,” he adds.
It is true that NASA’s Quesst mission was launched in 2018 to develop a supersonic aircraft that generated less noise than a conventional supersonic aircraft. And, six years later, they have managed to create an ambitious concept: NASA’s X-59. «This supersonic plane will help change the way we travel, bringing us closer to each other in much less time«.
The design of the X-59
The X-59 measures 30 meters long and nine meters wide. In addition, it has a peculiar design, since it has a thin and sharp nose that occupies almost a third of its length. NASA assures that “The pointed nose will help break up the shock waves that normally result in a sonic booma sound similar to an explosion or thunder to the human ear, caused by an object traveling through air faster than the speed of sound.
Lower noise and higher speed
The reason it is considered a supersonic aircraft is because these types of flights can travel at speeds faster than the speed of sound, and the X-59 is designed to fly at 1.4 times the speed of sound or about 1,480 km/h . What’s more, the team overseeing the X-59 Quesst mission is promoting the idea that the supersonic speed limit will be lifted as soon as the sonic boom is no longer an issue.
«Instead of a rule based solely on speed, we propose that the rule be based on sound“said Peter Coen, integrated mission manager for NASA’s supersonic jet, the X-59. “If the sound of supersonic flight is not loud enough to bother anyone below, there is no reason why the plane cannot fly supersonic.”
