Latest news with #NilsLarson
The Independent
14 hours ago
- Science
- The Independent
NASA tests new ‘quiet' supersonic plane capable of London-New York flight in under four hours
NASA has begun testing a new supersonic aircraft, almost 22 years after Concorde flew its last passenger service. The 'quiet' X-59 research aircraft – 99.7 feet long, with a wingspan of 29.7 feet – is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound, without generating loud sonic booms. On 10 July, NASA test pilot Nils Larson performed the X-59's first low-speed taxi test at US Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. During the taxi test, flight crews monitored steering and braking systems as the aircraft manoeuvred the runway. According to NASA: 'Over the coming weeks, the aircraft will gradually increase its speed, leading up to a high-speed taxi test that will take the aircraft just short of the point where it would take off.' The X-59 is part of NASA's Quesst mission to complete a quiet supersonic flight with a 'thump' rather than a sonic boom. The space administration says that the aircraft is expected to fly at 1.4 times the speed of sound, or 925mph, with the potential to connect New York and London in three and a half hours. NASA said that data gathered from the X-59 test flights will be used to inform 'acceptable noise thresholds' for commercial supersonic flights over land. On 27 April 1973, the US federal government banned all civilian supersonic flights over land to prevent the resulting sonic booms from startling the public. NASA's Quesst mission integration manager Peter Coen previously said: 'Instead of a rule based solely on speed, we are proposing the rule be based on sound. If the sound of a supersonic flight isn't loud enough to bother anyone below, there's no reason why the airplane can't be flying supersonic.' Concorde, the last supersonic passenger service, was operated by British Airways from New York's JFK Airport to London's Heathrow Airport on 24 October 2003. The supersonic aircraft suffered a catastrophic crash in Paris on 25 July 2000, which, along with high operating costs and declining passenger numbers, caused the aircraft to be retired.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA's X-59 'quiet' supersonic jet rolls out for its 1st test drive (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. NASA's X-59 "quiet" supersonic jet continues to make its way toward the runway. The X-59 was designed from the ground up to fly faster than the speed of sound without generating the thunderous sonic booms typically associated with supersonic flight. The 99-foot (30-meter) aircraft features a radical elongated design, which eliminates a front windscreen; pilots instead see what's ahead through an augmented reality-enabled closed circuit camera system that NASA calls the External Vision System, or XVS. This month, NASA took the experimental aircraft out for a drive, performing what are known as taxi tests. During these tests, NASA test pilot Nils Larson drove the X-59 across a runway at low speeds so crews could ensure the jet's steering and braking systems work as intended. Next, NASA and Lockheed Martin will perform high-speed taxi tests in which the X-59 will accelerate to close to the speed at which it will take off. VIDEO NOT PLAYING? Some ad blockers can disable our video player. The taxi tests took place at the U.S. Air Force's Plant 42 facility in Palmdale, California. The Air Force and its contractors use the plant to manufacture and test classified aircraft; the X-59 is being developed by Lockheed Martin, whose legendary "Skunk Works" facility is found at Plant 42. Some of the U.S. military's most advanced aircraft were developed to some extent at Plant 42, including the F-22 Raptor, the B-2 Spirit, and the uncrewed RQ-170 Sentinel spy drone. NASA's recently-retired SOFIA airborne observatory aircraft, the "flying telescope," also called Plant 42 home. The agency's space shuttles, the world's first reusable spacecraft, were also assembled and tested at the facility. These taxi tests are only the most recent tests that have taken place over the last several months. Earlier this month, NASA teamed up with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to test a scale model of the X-59 in a supersonic wind tunnel in order to measure the noise produced beneath the aircraft. Months prior, in May 2025, NASA fed data into the aircraft's computers that simulated being in flight, including experiencing failures. A month before that, NASA ran the X-59 through an "engine speed hold," similar to a car's cruise control, to ensure its engine can maintain a specific speed. But 2025 began with the most photogenic of all: afterburner tests, during which extra fuel was injected into the aircraft's hot exhaust. If the X-59's upcoming tests continue to be successful, NASA will soon conduct a flight test campaign that will see the jet fly over selected populated areas to collect data on how the aircraft's quieter sonic "thumps" are perceived on the ground. The ultimate goal is to develop technologies that can help bring supersonic flight back to the continental United States. Commercial supersonic flight has been banned for decades because of how disruptive the associated sonic booms can be. If the X-59 and other supersonic aircraft can find ways to mitigate these loud sonic booms, supersonic flight could indeed return, greatly reducing flight times for civilian travel, disaster response, medical transport and other applications.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mirror
NASA tests new supersonic plane with revolutionary tech that solves Concorde's fatal flaw
NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft has officially begun taxi tests, marking the first time this one-of-a-kind experimental aircraft has moved under its own power NASA is testing a new aircraft that could pave the way for a new era of supersonic air travel by addressing an issue at the heart of Concorde's commercial failure. The dream of a 'son of Concorde ' capable of whisking passengers from New York to London in under four hours is edging closer to reality. NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft has officially begun taxi tests, a significant milestone as this unique experimental plane moves under its own power for the first time. On 10 July, NASA test pilot Nils Larson, alongside the X-59 team comprising NASA and Lockheed Martin staff, carried out the craft's inaugural low-speed taxi test at the U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. This taxiing phase signals the final ground test sequence before the X-59's maiden flight. In the upcoming weeks, the aircraft will incrementally boost its speed, culminating in a high-speed taxi test that will bring it tantalisingly close to lift-off. During these initial low-speed trials, engineering and flight teams observed the X-59's performance on the tarmac, ensuring essential systems like steering and braking are operating correctly. These evaluations are crucial for confirming the aircraft's stability and control under various scenarios, instilling confidence in pilots and engineers that all systems are functioning optimally. At the heart of NASA's Quesst mission, the X-59 aims to revolutionise quiet supersonic travel by transforming the traditionally loud sonic boom into a more subdued "thump." This is considered key to the commercial success of any supersonic air travel. Crashing through the sound barrier causes a huge bang that has big consequences for those on the ground. During a 1965 test of the original Concorde over Oklahoma city by the US Air Force, hundreds of reports of smashed windows were made. The potential to cause this kind of disruption meant that Concorde could only fly certain routes at supersonic, meaning no high-speed flights over land. This crushed the business case for the aircraft in the US as cities such as Los Angeles and New York could not be linked up effectively. Guy Gratton, associate professor of aviation and the environment at Cranfield University, told the Mirror how NASA's new 'quiet' tech is causing is a huge amount of excitement in the industry. "From what I've been able to read, it does work. As a supersonic aircraft flies, every leading part of the aircraft creates a shockwave, and that shockwave creates a sonic boom. The NASA tech has shaped the aircraft so as the shockwaves move away from the plane in flight, they interact with each other and cancel each other out," he explained. The X-59 is expected to reach speeds of Mach 1.5, or roughly 990 mph (1,590 km/h), which could potentially cut the London to New York flight time down to approximately 3 hours and 44 minutes - a significant reduction from the usual 7-8 hour journey. In 2023, NASA explored the feasibility of supersonic passenger air travel on aircraft capable of reaching speeds between Mach 2 and Mach 4 (1,535-3,045 mph). Information collected from the X-59 will be shared with U.S. and international regulators to help establish new, data-driven noise standards for supersonic commercial flights over land.
