O Kh-59 QueSST this is a new aircraft that is under development NASAwhich promises a quieter supersonic aircraft than existing ones.

The X-59, due to make its first flight by the end of the year, is a project being handled by an American company. Lockheed Martinwhich signed a $247.5 million contract with NASA to build the aircraft.

The project is part of the Quest (Quiet SuperSonic Technology) program led by Craig Nichol, who revealed that the supersonic aircraft will have new aerodynamics that will greatly reduce the noise generated by this type of aircraft.

The X-59 will be a thin aircraft, about 30.5 meters long and will produce sounds of just 75 decibels, which is equivalent to the noise of a motorcycle. Watch the aircraft assembly video below:

“This means that this aircraft may sound like distant thunder on the horizon, or like someone closing a car door around a corner.“Nicole says. “It may even be that people do not hear the rumble, and if they do, they certainly will not be afraid, because it will be low and sweeping, not so loud.”

The value of the supersonic aircraft Kh-59

If the test flight is successful, NASA plans to launch the X-59 for testing at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in California in 2023 and prove it can produce a quieter sonic boom and is safe to operate in national airspace. At the same time, in 2024, NASA will fly the X-59 over several settlements across the country to assess the reaction of people to the sound signal emitted by the aircraft.

“The data collected will be shared with the Federal Aviation Administration and the International Civil Aviation Organization for review when changing existing bans on supersonic flight over land.“, according to NASA.

All this is thanks to international agreements that prohibit flights on commercial routes from reaching supersonic speeds in populated areas. Supersonic aircraft traveling at speeds above 1234.8 km/h can create shock waves in the air that hit the ground and produce strong sonic booms that can frighten and annoy residents.

If successful in its tests, NASA intends to submit to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) a proposal to change the regulations for supersonic aircraft and at the same time they can be used in habitable areas.

Source: Lockheed Martin

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