NASA & Lockheed's New SST X-59
Supersonic Plane Faster Than the Speed of Sound Source: NASA Could be Dawn of Global Supersonic Passenger Travel NASA and Lockheed Martin have designed what could be the supersonic jet of the future - the X-59 QueSST, meaning quiet supersonic technology. The needle-nosed, ultra thin aircraft breaks the sound barrier without releasing sonic booms. It has been designed to minimize shock waves down to the sound of a car door slamming down the street. The minimal sound is critical for SST flights to resume over land in the US. Because of sonic booms, the FAA banned commercial SST flights over the US in 1973. A New Design of Aerodynamic Elegance According to NASA and Lockheed, they went back to the basics of aerodynamics to design an aircraft that flies...