Science
fromwww.scientificamerican.com
1 hour agoWatch NASA test its new X-59 jet designed to go faster than the speed of sound
NASA's X-59 jet aims to enable quieter supersonic travel by reducing sonic booms to a thump similar to distant thunder.
At last, the X-59 is airborne. NASA's quiet supersonic airplane took to the skies in Palmdale, California, successfully landing back a few minutes later. While this initial sortie on October 28 was a subsonic check of basic systems and airworthiness, the flight represents the penultimate step toward reviving supersonic passenger travel over land. It also marks the beginning of a race to see which of three supersonic airplane ideas wins and becomes the dominant design of the 21st century.