Almost two decades ago, Concorde landed for the last time, ending supersonic commercial flights. Perhaps the biggest obstacle to Concorde was the sonic boom that is created when a plane breaks the sound barrier. Residential areas cannot tolerate the extremely loud sounds produced. If supersonic flight is to become viable, this sonic boom must be solved.
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However, NASA's experimental aircraft was designed to break the sound barrier in a completely new way: with a "sonic bump."
Designed to reduce the loud sonic boom to a quieter sonic "thud," the X-59 has reignited dreams of crossing the globe in a matter of hours, and an upcoming test could see the X-59 make history.
NASA will take delivery of the aircraft from Lockheed Martin and next year will see the next phase of Mission Quest, in which the X-59 will fly over populated areas. Residents will then be asked about the impact the aircraft has, including how loud and disruptive the sound was. If the test validates the X-59’s quiet and fast credentials , NASA will ask regulators to reconsider its ban on supersonic aircraft over land.
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That's when the X-59 will truly enter the history books, as current laws require aircraft to travel supersonic only above 30,000 feet (9,145 meters) or over water, and that's one of the main reasons why planes always travel at a maximum speed of 575 miles per hour. Such a law is also extremely common in other countries.
A sonic boom is the result of compressed pressure waves at the front and rear of the aircraft merging into a single shock wave as they can no longer escape before reaching the ground. Many people believe that a sonic boom only occurs when the aircraft passes Mach 1, or 765 miles per hour, the speed of sound, but this is false.
The X-59 was an aircraft concept that computer models predicted would produce a much quieter sonic boom, which NASA calls a “sonic bump.” While still not ideal, the design significantly reduces the noise and potential damage created by a sonic boom, something both Lockheed Martin and NASA hope will allow the ban on land-based supersonic commercial flights to be lifted.
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"With the X-59 flying on the mission , I think we are ready to break the sound barrier once again," NASA said.
The aircraft passed critical tests earlier this year and is now preparing for its debut in 2023. If all goes according to plan, a commercial supersonic aircraft could be feasible before 2030.
