NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft reaches target speed and altitude milestone
By
Claire Cameron
If you only eat one bagel today, this is the bagel.
Summary
NASA's experimental X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft has reached another critical milestone, flying at Mach 1.4 (approximately 924 mph) at its target altitude for future community overflights. The aircraft is designed to travel faster than sound without creating loud sonic booms, instead producing a quieter "sonic thump." This milestone follows the X-59's first supersonic flight just days earlier, advancing NASA's goal of enabling quieter supersonic commercial travel.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledJust days after NASA's experimental X-59 plane flew at supersonic speeds for the first time, the space agency has announced another milestone for the research aircraft.
The plane is designed to travel faster than the speed of sound without creating loud sonic booms—instead it generates what NASA describes as a 'sonic thump.'
On Friday the X-59 flew at Mach 1.4, or around 924 miles per hour, at an altitude
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