LOS ANGELES, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- The X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft, developed by NASA's aerospace contractor Lockheed Martin, completed its first flight test on Tuesday.
The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA's Quesst mission, which aims to overcome one of the major barriers to supersonic flight over land -- the loud sonic boom -- by reducing it to a quiet "thump."
According to Lockheed Martin, the X-59 took off from U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, before landing near NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The aircraft performed as planned, verifying its initial flying qualities and air data performance during the test flight.
The X-59's development and flight testing will inform the establishment of new data-driven acceptable noise thresholds related to supersonic commercial flight over land, paving the way for a new generation of supersonic aircraft that can efficiently and sustainably transport passengers and cargo twice as fast as aircraft today, Lockheed Martin said in a release.
The aircraft is about 30 meters long and 9 meters wide and powered by a single jet engine. It is designed to fly at about 1,400 kilometers per hour, according to NASA.
NASA said the X-59 will collect data to demonstrate that sonic booms can be reduced to barely audible "thumps" on the ground. The results will be shared with regulators to help develop acceptable noise thresholds for future supersonic flight over land. ■