The X-59 isn’t ‘thumping’ yet.
NASA’s X-59 supersonic jet ended its second test just nine minutes into flight due to a system warning. Bob Pearce from NASA’s aeronautics research stated that finding and fixing issues at this stage is expected for an experimental aircraft. The X-59 aims to fly over land faster than sound with a “thump” instead of a boom, challenging current supersonic flight restrictions. Despite the early landing, the brief flight provided valuable data. This is part of a broader effort to revolutionize commercial flight speeds. The jet’s design spreads pressure changes, preventing loud booms heard from traditional supersonic aircraft. More than 100 test flights are planned to refine the technology before testing over communities.