NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft
The successor to the Concorde, NASA's groundbreaking supersonic aircraft, could soon become a reality, making it possible to travel from New York City to London in just 90 minutes.
NASA has announced a "high-speed strategy" that, according to a CNN Travel report, has the potential to significantly shorten the duration of New York-London flights.
In a blog post by the US space agency in August 2023, it investigated the business case for supersonic passenger air travel aboard aircraft that could theoretically travel between Mach 2 and Mach 4 (1,535-3,045 miles per hour at sea level). By comparison, today's larger airliners cruise at roughly 600 mph, or about 80% of the speed of sound.
NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft continues to make progress, most recently moving to the paint barn at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works' facility in Palmdale, California.
"We are incredibly excited to reach this step in the mission. When the X-59 emerges from the paint barn with fresh paint and livery, I expect the moment to take my breath away because I'll see our vision coming to life," said Cathy Bahm, the low-boom flight demonstrator project manager. "The year ahead will be a big one for the X-59, and it will be thrilling for the outside of the aircraft to finally match the spectacular mission ahead."
NASA's QuessT (Quiet SuperSonic Technology) mission has adjusted the scheduled first flight of its X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft to 2024.
The X-59 is an experimental aircraft designed to fly faster than the speed of sound while reducing the sound of the typical sonic boom to a sonic thump. The aircraft is the centerpiece of NASA's Quesst mission.