NASA Reveals Its X-Plane. It Will Fly Over The U.S. At Supersonic Speed

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

Over a half-century ago, the U.S. banned commercial planes from flying at supersonic speeds over the nation.

The ban protected us from the thunderous, jolting shock waves created when a plane breaks the speed of sound (some 767 mph), events aptly called sonic booms. For those who haven't experienced such an atmospheric blast from the likes of a military craft, it's like the sound of an explosion, NASA explains.

Now, the space agency seeks to tame these booms. On Jan. 12, NASA revealed its much anticipated X-59 aircraft, a nearly 100-foot-long experimental craft that will zoom at 925 mph high above several U.S. communities. (The craft will fly at 55,000 feet; most commercial airliners fly at some 35,000 feet.) Rather than creating a thunderclap, engineers hope the specially-designed craft will produce "barely-audible" thump sounds, perhaps similar to closing a car door.

Ultimately, the aviation industry might one day use this aeronautics innovation to cut flight times across the U.S. or elsewhere in half - though big questions loom around the economic viability of supersonic flight. Still, imagine hopping from Los Angeles to New York City in just two and a half hours.

[...] The X-59 plane will start flying soon, but not immediately over U.S. communities. NASA will build up to those crucial testing flights.

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