NASA’s X-59 QueSST – Will Lockheed Martins Extraordinary Design Reduce Sonic Boom?

You can’t undermine NASA’s broader effort to explore supersonic flight technology and its potential for commercial aviation. It’s side quest on making supersonic travel quieter couldn’t be stopped despite the barriers that slowed down the progress. Well that’s where NASA’s X-59 comes into place, revolutionizing the air travel by significantly reducing the sonic boom.

I know.. I know. you’re probably wondering what really is X-59? Or how does it helps in reducing the sonic boom? To answer all these questions in your mind, lets first dive into NASA’s supersonic jet and it’s missions.

What is the X-59 Supersonic Jet? How will it reduces sonic boom?

The X-59 QueSST (Quiet SuperSonic Transport) is an experimental supersonic aircraft developed by NASA in collaboration with Lockheed Martin. Its primary goal is to revolutionize air travel by significantly reducing the sonic boom — the loud, disruptive noise produced when a plane breaks the sound barrier.

By tackling the challenge of the sonic boom, it opens up possibilities for new supersonic commercial flights that could drastically reduce travel times while minimizing noise pollution. Although still in the experimental phase, the data collected from this aircraft could shape the next generation of aviation.

Key Features: Technology and design

1. Design for Quiet Supersonic Flight:
   One of the main challenges with supersonic aircraft is the sonic boom — a loud noise generated when an aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound. The X-59 is designed with a long, slender fuselage and a sharply pointed nose to reduce the intensity of the shockwaves that cause the sonic boom. This design allows the aircraft to fly at supersonic speeds without generating disruptive noise for people on the ground.
2. Mach Speed:
   The X-59 is capable of flying at speeds of around Mach 1.4, or approximately 1,000 mph (1,609 km/h), which is faster than the speed of sound at sea level. This enables it to cover long distances much faster than current subsonic aircraft.
3. Quiet “Thump” Instead of a Boom:
   The aircraft is designed to minimize the noise caused by shockwaves. When it flies at supersonic speeds, the X-59 will produce a quiet “thump” or soft “sonic thump” instead of the loud, disruptive sonic boom typically associated with supersonic jets.
4. Advanced Aerodynamics:
   The X-59’s design incorporates advanced aerodynamics and cutting-edge technologies to achieve the necessary speed and efficiency while maintaining low noise levels. Its shape, specifically the elongated fuselage and forward-swept wings, is optimized for high-speed flight.

Why Is the X-59 Important?

1. Reducing Noise Pollution: Supersonic flight has long been hindered by the loud sonic boom, which limits the routes and altitudes at which supersonic planes can fly, particularly over populated areas. The X-59 aims to overcome this barrier by enabling supersonic flights that are less intrusive to people on the ground.
2. Boosting Global Travel: Supersonic flight has the potential to drastically cut down travel times for long-haul flights. The X-59 could pave the way for future commercial jets that allow passengers to fly across the globe in record time — for example, reducing the flight time from New York to Tokyo from 14 hours to around 6 hours.
3. Technological Innovation: The X-59 represents a significant leap forward in the field of aerospace engineering, demonstrating new materials, designs, and flight technologies that could be applied to future commercial airliners.
4. Economic Impact: If successful, the technology behind the X-59 could create new opportunities for the aviation industry, including the development of faster, quieter, and more efficient commercial jets, which could lead to new markets and revenue streams for airlines and aircraft manufacturers.

X-59 QueSST Flight Testing and Timeline

• Aircraft Development: The NASA X-59 supersonic aircraft development project began in 2018. Lockheed Martin led the design and construction of the bird with the successful delivery in early 2024.

• Engine Test: On Oct. 30, 2024 the engine test began which helped the team to verify if the systems are functioning properly.

• First Flight: While the bird hasn’t flew off yet, NASA plans to fly the X-59 within the supersonic test range over NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center and Edwards Air Force Base in California.
• Community Response: After its test flights, NASA plans to gather public feedback between 2026-2028, measuring the noise levels of the aircraft’s flight to fine-tune the design and demonstrate its potential for future commercial applications.
• Final Data: By 2030, NASA projects to submit the analysis of the community response data to the United States and international regulators. If the regulation considers the new sound-based rules of quiet supersonic flight, it could enable a whole new level of commercial markets in faster-than-sound air travel over the surface of the EARTH.

When will it be commercially available?

The X-59 is an experimental aircraft, meaning it’s not intended for commercial passenger service just yet. Instead, it’s part of a larger NASA program aimed at gathering data to inform the development of future supersonic commercial aircraft. NASA plans to test the aircraft and gather feedback on how the quieter sonic boom is perceived by people on the ground.

If successful, the X-59 could pave the way for the development of future supersonic commercial jets, making faster international travel a reality again, like the now-retired Concorde but without the problematic sonic boom. This would enable airlines to offer flights at supersonic speeds across long distances without disturbing populations near flight paths.

With it’s roadmap suggesting the final data by 2030, we could expect the expansion of commercial markets by 2035.