NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft as seen when it was unveiled at a ceremony earlier this year at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works factory in Palmdale, CaliforniaNASA/Steve FreemanNASA 's X-59 aircraft has been progressing toward its first flight since development began in 2016, with the goal of resurrecting commercial supersonic travel. Next, the agency...
Pilot cam view from Aurora as it reaches 82,500 ftDawn AerospaceThe dream of commercial supersonic flight is inching closer to reality. On November 12, 2024, Dawn Aerospace’s 16-ft (4.8-m) autonomous Mk-II Aurora rocket-powered plane reached Mach 1.1, officially breaking the sound barrier.Since the Concorde’s retirement in 2003, civil supersonic travel has largely faded into...
The complete magnificence of the X-59 on display. Credit: Lockheed Martin Skunk WorksSupersonic air travel promises unprecedented speed but is hindered by the disruptive sonic booms that make it impractical over land. In collaboration with Lockheed Martin, NASA aims to overcome this obstacle with the X-59, an experimental aircraft designed for remarkable speed without...
