2024-01-16 16:00:00
NASA has officially unveiled the X-59, a new experimental supersonic plane that could revolutionize aviation. Introduced on Friday (16) in partnership with Lockheed Martin, an aerospace products company, the vehicle has a futuristic design and is strategically designed to be quieter than other aircraft in its category.
The X-59 was displayed at the Lockheed Martin facility in Palmdale, California. The experimental model has an elongated nose that draws attention for not have a front window. In its place, there is a camera system that transmits the image in real time to an augmented reality screen in the cabin.
The thin, tapered nose accounts for almost a third of the X-59’s length. Therefore, the cockpit is located just before the middle of the plane. This construction breaks the shock waves that would normally result in the generation of sonic boom.
It is expected that the X-59 reaches 1.4 times the speed of sound, that is, around 1,488 km/h. To compare, a commercial plane has an average speed of 800 to 900 km/h. With this, airline flights and other services could become much faster.
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We are talking about a project with an investment of US$248 million. NASA says it intends to begin testing the X-59 in 2025, initially on air routes in the United States — including overflights in some urban areas.
With the testing phase, the North American space agency intends to collect data on the perception of the sonic boom by people who live or frequent the areas covered by the aircraft. If experiments conclude that its sound profile is acceptable, the X-59 could open new avenues for commercial supersonic flight.
In a parallel project known as the “Sustainable Flight Demonstrator”, in partnership with Boeing, NASA is also experimenting with an aircraft with an innovative design that promises greater fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions.
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