The unique supersonic aircraft X-59 was tested for the first time in the USA (video)
NASA’s X-59 jet, designed to break the sound barrier with minimal noise, has made its first flight in the United States. Reuters reported.
The plane, developed by aerospace contractor Lockheed Martin for NASA, took to the skies about an hour after sunrise from the runway at the Skunk Works plant in Palmdale, 100 km north of Los Angeles.
After takeoff, the X-59 headed north towards Edwards Air Force Base, where it landed safely about an hour later near NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. It was accompanied by an agency chase plane. About 200 aerospace industry workers and their families watched the takeoff.
The single-engine jet, just under 100 feet long, reached a subsonic speed of about 230 mph (370 km/h) and a maximum altitude of 12,000 feet (3,660 meters) during its first test flight. The X-59 is designed to cruise at 880 mph (1490 km/h) at an altitude of about 55,000 feet (16,764 meters).
The special shape of the aircraft is designed to reduce the sonic boom that usually occurs when breaking the sound barrier. According to Lockheed, the improvement in low-noise supersonic flight technology should eliminate a major obstacle to commercial flights over populated areas, which were previously restricted due to excessive noise. Since 2018, NASA has invested more than $518 million in the development and demonstration of the X-59.
