Will we be able to fly between New York and Rome in three-four hours without the classic “boom”? The experimental flight of NASA’s X-59 jet promises so.
NASA’s X-59 experimental jet, built in collaboration with Lockheed Martin at the “Skunk Works” plant in Palmdale (California), has an ambitious goal: to break the sound barrier without generating the thunderous booms that have prevented supersonic flights over land for decades.
The flight. The takeoff took place from the runway shared between the US Air Force base and Palmdale Regional Airport, California. The time reported by Flightradar24 indicated 3.13pm in Italy. The jet taxied out of the USAF facility “Plant 42”, faced a very rapid climb over the Mojave Desert, and then headed north towards the nearby Edwards Air Force Base, flying for just over an hour with an elliptical trajectory, before landing again.
NASA has not made an official announcement — perhaps due to the contingency of the US government shutdown — but videos and photographs shared by enthusiasts and photographers present confirm that the X-59 has indeed taken flight.
Visionary project. The In fact, since 1973 supersonic flights over land have been prohibited due to the noise pollution generated by conventional aircraft.
The The engine is a GE F414-GE-100, capable of approximately 98,000 newtons (N) of thrust, mounted in an unconventional position to reduce shock waves and divert flows capable of generating the roar.
Epochal change. The X-59’s design aims to transform the sonic boom into a “thump” — a sort of “thump” comparable to the sound of a car door closing. If this is the case, past regulations could change, paving the way for commercial supersonic flights even over inhabited areas.
Finally, beyond passenger travel, supersonic speed with low noise impact would mean enormous advantages in emergency relief, medical transport and other fields where time is of the essence.
The next steps. After this historic “first”, the aircraft will find its base at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center (at Edwards AFB) where it will begin a test campaign: flybys of the X-59 over microphones positioned in the desert and flights accompanied by other aircraft equipped with special sensors to measure shock waves and aeronautical compatibility.
Additionally, data collection and testing will include testing in close proximity to civilian communities to assess how the “thump” noise is perceived by people on the ground — a critical step in convincing regulators and lawmakers.