The X-59 features a streamlined fuselage design with a cockpit positioned above the body, which helps create a smoother underbelly, preventing sonic booms from emerging from behind.
Currently, NASA is collaborating with Lockheed Martin, hoping to revive supersonic commercial flight by minimizing noise. Their X-59 Quesst (Quiet SuperSonic Technology) project aims to remove the restrictions on supersonic speeds over land when the sonic boom is no longer an issue. Other aircraft, including the Northrop F-5E, have demonstrated that aircraft shapes can reduce the intensity of sonic booms as early as 2003. The X-59 is designed to go further, producing a sonic boom of only about 75 decibels, equivalent to the sound of a washing machine.
Design of the X-59 supersonic aircraft. (Photo: Lockheed Martin).
Many emerging companies in the supersonic aircraft manufacturing sector not only believe that commercial flight at speeds faster than the speed of sound is feasible, but they are also embarking on designing, manufacturing, and seeking certification for such vehicles within the next 5 to 10 years. Supersonic flight will revolutionize the aviation industry and help passengers save time, according to Yahoo.
The sonic boom remains the biggest obstacle to developing this type of aircraft, according to David Richwine, Deputy Project Manager for NASA’s X-59, a test aircraft designed to minimize noise and vibration from the boom. The sonic boom has been known since Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947 with the Bell X-1. It is the loud noise caused by shock waves formed when an aircraft exceeds the speed of sound. Initially regarded as a sign of progress, it opened the era of supersonic flight. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy introduced the Supersonic Transport (SST) initiative aimed at creating a commercial passenger aircraft capable of carrying 300 passengers and flying at speeds exceeding 3,700 km/h.
However, by the end of the decade, most people viewed the sonic boom as a public nuisance. In 1968, an F-105 flying over the Air Force Academy shattered 200 windows of a nearby church, injuring dozens of people. From 1956 to 1968, the U.S. Air Force had to handle about 40,000 complaints about supersonic aircraft, compensating for damages caused by broken windows and cracked drywall.
The Concorde, the world’s first commercial supersonic aircraft, also could not solve the problem. Developed by the UK and France, Concorde’s transatlantic flights often caused window shattering in many U.S. cities and vibrations that frightened local residents. In 1973, the U.S. Congress and authorities worldwide banned supersonic flight over land. With high ticket prices and fuel consumption, the Concorde made its final flight in the UK in 2003.
The idea for the X-59 was first introduced in 2018. NASA allocated $248 million for Lockheed Martin to develop the jet prototype. After computer modeling and wind tunnel testing, the X-59 was officially unveiled at Lockheed’s Skunk Works facility in California in January 2024. The sleek, pointed aircraft measures 30.4 meters in length and 9 meters in width, resembling a futuristic fighter jet with the cockpit located in the center of the fuselage. The vehicle is designed to fly at a speed of Mach 1.4 (1,489 km/h). The X-59 reuses many parts from other aircraft, including landing gear from the F-16, a parachute and ejection seat from the T-38 supersonic trainer, and part of the engine system used in the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft.
The engine positioned at the front of the aircraft allows the underbelly to be smoother, preventing shock waves from forming behind the aircraft, thereby reducing the intensity of the sonic boom. The aircraft has undergone extensive ground testing and is expected to take off by the end of this year. The X-59 will fly at a speed of 1,728 km/h at an altitude of approximately 16,764 meters, equivalent to the speed and altitude of commercial supersonic aircraft. According to NASA, the data obtained will help lawmakers reconsider the ban on supersonic flight over land.
The cockpit configuration located about halfway along the aircraft’s length means that pilots will not observe through a front window; instead, they will use high-resolution cameras and a 4K monitoring display in the cockpit, known as the eXternal Vision System. When the X-59 takes off, the vehicle will undergo safety testing, followed by a sound evaluation period before NASA conducts a series of test flights in various cities to gather feedback from residents, helping to determine whether the technology has reached an acceptable noise level.
