The dream of the Concorde is attainable. The NASA X-59 simply needs to eliminate the supersonic boom.

      The jet designed to eliminate the sonic boom has just achieved its maximum speed.

      NASA has already demonstrated that its needle-nosed X-59 can fly at high speeds in recent test flights. The next phase is to determine whether it can surpass the sound barrier without alerting everyone on the ground. The experimental aircraft recently reached Mach 1.4, approximately 924 mph (1,487 kph), at an altitude of 55,000 feet. These conditions are what NASA intends to use for future tests of the X-59's quieter sonic signature, marking a significant milestone for the agency's Quesst mission.

      NASA's supersonic jet has achieved its full speed.

      The X-59 first broke the sound barrier on June 5, reaching about Mach 1.1 at 43,400 feet during an 81-minute test flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California. One week later, NASA pushed it to its maximum mission speed and altitude. Unlike a future commercial aircraft, the X-59 is a single-seat research plane constructed by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works. Its elongated nose, specially designed fuselage, and top-mounted engine work to disperse the shock waves that typically converge to create a booming sonic boom.

      Lockheed Martin Skunk Works

      NASA aims for the sound produced on the ground to resemble a softer thump. Demonstrating this could ultimately persuade US and international regulators to implement new noise regulations for commercial supersonic flights over land. This means future airlines might use technology to reduce travel times between cities without frequently disturbing communities below their flight paths.

      The challenge lies in achieving the quiet part.

      Despite this achievement, NASA has yet to accurately gauge how quiet the X-59 is during these test flights. An F-15 research jet has been accompanying the aircraft as a safety chase plane, creating conventional sonic booms that drown out the X-59’s own sound. In the upcoming tests, an F-15 fitted with a shock-sensing probe will fly close to the X-59 to measure the pressure waves it generates.

      NASA’s X-59 supersonic aircraft. Martin Tice / Lockheed Martin

      NASA indicates that the aircraft needs several months of performance assessments before entering its acoustic-validation stage. Researchers will then more accurately measure its sonic signature before flying it over selected US communities and soliciting feedback from residents on how disruptive the thump sounds. The X-59 will never transport paying passengers, but the data and design insights gleaned from it could assist aircraft manufacturers in developing quieter supersonic airliners in the future. Thus, the dream of supersonic travel still persists.