NASA’s X-59 Experimental Aircraft Prepares for First Flight in 2024
The X-59 NASA experimental aircraft, designed for a quick and low-school flight over land, is preparing for its first flight in 2024. This device is designed for movement at a speed exceeding the speed of sound, while reducing the intensity of supersonic explosions that arise. These restrictions previously seriously limited the use of supersonic military and commercial vessels.
The X-59 was created by the Lockheed-Martin Skunk Works engineering group, renowned for developing advanced aircraft for various applications. The first test flight of the X-59 was initially planned for this year, but ongoing tests and experiments at the company’s facility in Palmdale, California, have caused a delay. The exact date in 2024 is expected to be announced in the near future.
When the aircraft’s speed approaches the sound speed, the compressed waves formed in front of the plane become closer to each other. Breaking the sound barrier abruptly compresses these waves, resulting in a loud explosion, commonly referred to as a supersonic explosion. NASA and Skunk Works have been working on the X-59 experimental aircraft with the hopes of reducing these explosions from a loud boom to a sound similar to closing a car door.
It should be noted that the X-59 is not an entirely new design. Instead, it is assembled using systems and components from existing aircraft. For example, the X-59 chassis was taken from the F-16, and the life support systems were sourced from the F-15. Once critical ground tests are completed, the aircraft will be moved from the assembly area to the take-off and landing strip for structural testing.
After take-off, the X-59 is expected to fly over “several communities” in order to collect data on people’s reactions to significantly reduced supersonic explosions. NASA will then share these results with domestic and international regulators to help adjust the current rules that prohibit commercial supersonic flights over land.
The goal of achieving supersonic flight without loud explosions is a tantalizing prospect, and NASA’s team working on this project is focused on accomplishing the first flight in 2024.