NASA, in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, unveiled the X-59, a groundbreaking supersonic aircraft set to revolutionise air travel.
Touted as the “son of Concorde,” this 100-foot-long and 30-foot-wide plane promises to cut the New York to London travel time to a mere three and a half hours.
Unlike its predecessor, the Concorde, which retired two decades ago due to maintenance costs and a tragic crash, the X-59 boasts a speed of 925 miles per hour with reduced sonic boom disruption.
The innovative design features a thin, tapered nose to minimise shock waves and a cockpit positioned halfway down the plane, requiring pilots to rely on camera monitors for operation.
This aircraft is a pivotal part of NASA’s Quesst mission, aimed at gathering data to challenge the longstanding ban on supersonic flights, imposed due to disruptive sonic booms.
NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy expressed pride in the achievement, stating, “NASA’s X-59 will help change the way we travel, bringing us closer together in much less time.”
The Quesst team gears up for the maiden flight, scheduled later this year, followed by the first “quiet supersonic flight”.
However, NASA emphasised that the X-59 is an experimental airplane and not a commercial prototype.
With a budget of $632 million over eight years, this project marks a significant stride toward a future of faster, quieter and more efficient air travel.
[Image via Instagram / @nasa]