NASA has successfully completed the inaugural flight of its experimental supersonic jet, the X-59 Quesst. The aircraft, designed to reduce noise and sonic booms when flying at supersonic speeds, took off from a US Air Force base in California and flew at a lower altitude before landing. The first flight validated the airworthiness and safety of the X-59, a significant step towards developing commercial supersonic jets.
The X-59 features a unique design with a long, slender nose that breaks up pressure waves to reduce sonic booms. Its engine is mounted on top of the fuselage, minimizing shock waves and directing sound waves upwards. The aircraft also lacks a traditional glass cockpit window, instead using a 4K monitor for external visibility.
While the X-59's speed was not reached during the first flight, it flew at around 240 mph before reaching its maximum altitude. Future tests will see the jet increase in speed and altitude until it reaches supersonic speeds. The goal is to gather data on how people react to quieter sonic booms, which could pave the way for commercial supersonic aircraft that could cut travel times in half.
The X-59 has joined a long line of innovative NASA projects, dating back to the Bell X-1, the first aircraft to break the sound barrier in 1947. For the project pilot, James Less, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and will be the highlight of his career.
The X-59 features a unique design with a long, slender nose that breaks up pressure waves to reduce sonic booms. Its engine is mounted on top of the fuselage, minimizing shock waves and directing sound waves upwards. The aircraft also lacks a traditional glass cockpit window, instead using a 4K monitor for external visibility.
While the X-59's speed was not reached during the first flight, it flew at around 240 mph before reaching its maximum altitude. Future tests will see the jet increase in speed and altitude until it reaches supersonic speeds. The goal is to gather data on how people react to quieter sonic booms, which could pave the way for commercial supersonic aircraft that could cut travel times in half.
The X-59 has joined a long line of innovative NASA projects, dating back to the Bell X-1, the first aircraft to break the sound barrier in 1947. For the project pilot, James Less, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and will be the highlight of his career.
, just heard about the X-59 Quesst's first flight and I'm super stoked! Supersonic travel could be a total game changer for us - think reduced travel times from LA to London in under 3 hours 
. And yeah, it's awesome that NASA is pushing boundaries again, like the Bell X-1 back in '47 
. The idea of quieter sonic booms is genius too - we've all heard those annoying boom sounds on flights before, so this could be a real win-win! Can't wait to see how future tests go and if we'll get to experience supersonic travel soon 
I'm so hyped about this 
NASA just made history with the X-59 Quesst!!! 
The long nose and 4K monitor are genius moves to minimize shock waves and maximize visibility. I'm dying to see it reach supersonic speeds and test its limits 
. This could literally cut travel times in half, like, imagine flying from LA to NY in like, an hour 
! James Less is living his best life as the pilot of this historic flight 
It's like, designed to reduce noise & sonic booms when flying super fast, which is a major win for everyone lol. I'm low-key hyped cuz this means we might see faster flights in the future 
And can we talk about how futuristic it looks? No glass cockpit window just a 4K monitor for external visibility - I'm living for this tech 
so cool that NASA just made its supersonic jet fly for real! 
I'm all about reducing sonic booms because they can be super annoying 
especially when you're on a plane that's already trying to get you from point A to point B quickly. The X-59's design sounds genius, breaking up pressure waves with the long nose thingy and directing sound waves upwards 
it's like the jet is saying "hey, I'm going fast, but I won't disturb your peaceful flight". Can't wait for them to push the speed limit next! 
I mean, think about it, you've got a plane flying at twice the speed of sound and making all this noise... just so we can cut travel times in half? no thanks. they're gonna charge us extra to fly on these things too... might as well take a bus or train for that price 
the pilot james less sounds like such a cool guy too, like he's gonna be famous or something 
. and i love how they're focusin on makin it quieter, sonic booms r soooo annoying 
.