NASA's ‘Son of Concorde' jet that will HALVE flight time from US to London step closer to take-off with runway test
The X-59 jet will even
5
Concept illustration of the X-59 shooting through the sky
Credit: SWNS
5
Nasa and Lockheed Martin are speeding ahead with tests of the supersonic X-59 jet
Credit: Lockheed Martin / Gary Tice
5
The 30m-long and 9m-wide plane has a sharp, stiletto-style nose
Credit: Alamy
When up and running,
Nasa revealed it struck
The X-59 moved around purely under its own
power
for the first time at US Air Force Plant 42 on July 10.
Taxiing is the final stage of ground tests before Nasa can take it up into the skies - and the maiden voyage is chalked for later this year.
read more in tech
Over the coming weeks, pilots will gradually increase the speed on the runway - leading to high-speed manoeuvres when it will travel fast enough to take off.
Engineers tested key systems like steering and breaking during the low-speed run through.
Nasa said: "These checks help ensure the aircraft's stability and control across a range of conditions, giving pilots and engineers confidence that all systems are functioning as expected."
The X-59 is the crown jewel in
Most read in Science
Instead, the X-59 will produce a much quieter sonic "thump".
Currently, commercial passenger planes are banned from going at such speeds – if they were able to – over land in the UK and US on account of the noise levels.
Near-supersonic jet that can fly London-New York at speeds 'not seen since Concorde' unveiled with luxury living spaces
The 30m-long and 9m-wide X-59 has a sharp, stiletto-style nose that engineers believe will reduce the noise
The space agency believes their new jet could fly from London to New York in three-and-a-half hours.
Lori Ozoroski, a project manager at Nasa, previously said: "We had a commercial supersonic aircraft, the Concorde.
"But it was limited during its flights that it could not fly, say into, you know, somewhere in the middle of the U.S.
"You were not allowed to fly supersonic over land.
5
The jet's F414-GE-100 engine is mounted on top of the aircraft
Credit: Lockheed Martin / Gary Tice
5
The X-59 has a sharp nose designed to reduce the sonic boom
Credit: Reuters
"So most of the flights were back and forth just over the ocean. And so again, that ban has been in place for 50 years, over 50 years in the US.
"A lot of international countries as well have similar bans.
"And so the whole goal of this research that we're doing right now is to lift that ban and set a speed limit for commercial supersonic aircraft rather than a speed limit."
Lori added: "The sound level is more like – we've done studies – it's more like a car door closing, you know, across the street at your neighbour's house rather than the very loud typical sonic boom."
Supersonic and Hypersonic Jets
There are several types of hypersonic and supersonic jets. A breakdown of what's been happening in the industry and what's expected in the coming years.
Talon-A
Built by Stratolaunch
Reported speeds of Mach 5
The first test flight conducted in 2024
Built by Nasa and Lockheed Martin
Predicted max speeds of Mach 1.4
The first test flight in 2025 - but subject to delays
Built by Venus Aerospace and Velontra
Predicted max speeds of Mach 6
First test flight in 2025
Built by Hermeus
Predicted max speeds of Mach 2.5
First test flight in 2026
Built by Hermeus
Predicted max speeds of Mach 5
First test flight by 2030
Built by China's hypersonic plane programme
Predicted max speeds of Mach 6
First test flight in 2025
Built by Hypersonix Launch Systems
Predicted max speeds of Mach 7
First test flight in 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Terrifying new Earth-sized planet found with deadly secret that would instantly kill anyone visiting
A NEW Earth-sized planet has been discovered in a faraway constellation - and it would kill any astronaut who dare travel there. Some 117.4 light-years away from Earth, scientists have stumbled across a nightmarish alien world where the planet's surface is likely molten. 5 The surface of molten exoplanet Credit: Alamy 5 An artist's impression of a molten exoplanet Credit: Alamy The planet, dubbed TOI-2431, orbits quite close to its nearest star over a very short period, resulting in a high surface temperature. Unlike Earth, which has an orbital period of 365 days, TOI-2431 orbits its star in only 5.4 hours - making it one of the shortest period exoplanets ever discovered. The alien world, located in constellation Cetus, is thought to have a surface temperature of about 1,700C (3092F). Anything that lands there would be immediately incinerated. READ MORE ON SPACE The international team of astronomers, led by Kaya Han Taş of the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, detected the new exoplanet orbiting a nearby star using Nasa's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). 5 Nasa's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Credit: Nasa "We have confirmed the ultra-short period planet TOI-2431 b using a combination of photometric transit data from TESS, precise radial velocity observations with the NEID and HPF spectrographs, and ground-based speckle imaging with the NESSI instrument," researchers wrote in the new The Nasa tool monitors about 200,000 bright stars near Earth, scanning for hidden planets that might cause any blips of light as they pass their star. Just last week, researchers revealed they used TESS to follow a Most read in Science Since its launch in April 2018, the satellite has identified more than 7,600 possible exoplanets - which are nicknamed TESS Objects of Interest, or TOI. Exactly 638 of these have been confirmed as alien worlds so far. Best-ever sign of ALIEN life found on distant planet as scientists '99.7% sure of astounding biological activity signal' The planet's host star is only about two-thirds the size and mass of our Sun, and appears to be pulling the planet towards a fiery death. Researchers estimated that the planet has a tidal decay timescale of about 31 million years - which is fairly short in the grand schemes of the universe. Tidal decay causes a planet's orbit to gradually shrink and spiral towards its host star - eventually leading to its destruction. The 2billion-year-old host star, which researchers believe is roughly double the temperature of its nearby planet, will eventually collide with the planet. Researchers hope they can secure time with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to study TOI-2431 b more closely. Doing so could shed more light on the planet's surface composition, and may answer the question of whether or not it has an atmosphere. The $10 billion telescope 5 The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Credit: Alamy 5 An artist's impression of a molten exoplanet Credit: Alamy All you need to know about planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is How many moons does What colour is How far away is How big is How many moons does Does How many moons does How big is How hot is the
Irish Independent
9 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Mystery of Betelgeuse twinkle solved after hundreds of years
It is Betelgeuse, and for hundreds of years astronomers have puzzled over why its twinkle grows lighter and then dimmer over time. But the mystery has finally been solved. Betelgeuse has a companion star that pushes light-blocking dust out of the way, temporarily making the star glow more brightly. The presence of the star, nicknamed 'Betelbuddy', had been theorised, but Nasa has spotted it for the first time using its Gemini North telescope, in Hawaii. Steve Howell, a senior research scientist at the Nasa Ames Research Centre in California, said: 'Papers that predicted Betelgeuse's companion believed that no one would likely ever be able to image it. 'Gemini North's ability to obtain high angular resolutions and sharp contrasts allowed the companion of Betelgeuse to be directly detected.' Betelgeuse, roughly pronounced as 'Beetlejuice', sits about 650 light years from Earth and glows 100,000 times brighter than the sun. It is so big that if it sat at the centre of our solar system, in the position of the sun, its surface would lie farther out than Mars. It is known as a variable star, getting brighter and dimmer every 400 days. In 2019 and 2020, there was a steep decrease in Betelgeuse's brightness − an event referred to as the 'Great Dimming', which led to some scientists suggesting its dulled twinkle was foreshadowing an impending supernova that would darken the star for ever. However, it turned out that the star had emitted a large gas bubble, which then cooled to form dust, temporarily blocking its shine. The Great Dimming mystery sparked a renewed interest in studying Betelgeuse, but it was not until researchers used a special technique called 'speckle imaging' that the star was discovered. Speckle imaging uses very short exposure times to freeze out the distortions in images caused by Earth's atmosphere, enabling high resolution, which, when combined with the light-collecting power of Gemini North, allowed the new star to be seen for the first time.
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
X slams French criminal probe over alleged algorithm ‘manipulation'
Elon Musk's X has attacked a French criminal probe over 'the alleged manipulation of its algorithm', calling it politically motivated and a threat to free speech. In a statement on Monday, the social media service said that French authorities had requested access to the company's recommendation algorithm, as well as data 'about all user posts on the platform'. French prosecutors said in a statement on July 11 that they had opened the investigation into X after looking into reports in January from a lawmaker and an unnamed top official that claimed the social network was allegedly interfering in elections and other political issues. In that statement, the Paris prosecutor said it was investigating whether X had engaged in 'tampering with the functioning of an automated data processing system' or the 'fraudulent extraction of data'. READ MORE X said it 'remains in the dark' about the specific allegations, which it denies, and that it 'has not acceded to the French authorities' demands'. 'Based on what we know so far, X believes that this investigation is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech,' it said. The social media group also said that investigators had asked for access to its 'recommendation algorithm' and data about users' posts, so two experts could examine them. Musk's company claimed the inquiry was 'instigated' by a French lawmaker, Éric Bothorel, who is a member of President Emmanuel Macron's party, Renaissance. Bothorel told the Financial Times that he had reported to prosecutors alleged problems on X, including lack of moderation and what he called biased promotion of rightwing content. 'If the justice system is taking next steps ... it means they think it is necessary,' said Bothorel. 'It will allow further actions to be taken, such as police searches and eventually charges, if any of the allegations are verified.' The MP said he had been concerned by Musk's promotion in January of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of elections. The French case comes as the European Commission has been investigating whether X has broken the bloc's digital transparency rules. The FT reported last week that it had delayed a decision in the inquiry until September. The EU has several investigations into X under the Digital Services Act, a set of rules for large online players to police their platforms more aggressively. Bothorel said he had been motivated to act at the national level to report allegations against X because he saw the EU commission as dragging its feet on holding Musk and X accountable. 'If I chose to refer the matter to the justice system, it was also to provoke the commission a bit,' he said. 'It's disheartening to see the European Union fail to take responsibility when it comes to enforcing – and especially applying – the sanctions regimes that were envisioned under the DSA and DMA.' Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
