Supersonic commercial flights could soon become a reality as NASA’s project X-59, an experimental test aircraft for Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST), passed a crucial hurdle by successfully completing its maximum afterburner engine run test. Incidentally, the ambitious project is built upon research data gathered from a former Soviet-Russian supersonic aircraft – Tupolev Tu-144.
The X-59 is an experimental aircraft part of NASA’s Quesst that could go supersonic without generating a sonic boom or a loud thunder-like sound when the aircraft goes faster than the speed of sound. The U.S. and other countries have banned flights that produce sonic booms due to the disruption they cause in the communities below.
According to an official statement published on December 20, “NASA completed the first maximum afterburner engine run test on its X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft on Dec. 12. The ground test, conducted at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, marks a significant milestone as the X-59 team progresses toward flight.”
It explained that an afterburner is an engine component that generates extra thrust. The X-59 will be able to reach its supersonic speed requirements by using an F414-GE-100 engine with an afterburner. The latest test validated the engine’s capacity to function within temperature ranges and with sufficient airflow for flight. Additionally, it demonstrated how well the engine coordinated with the other aircraft subsystems.
The development comes less than a year after NASA rolled out the X-59 in a joint ceremony with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, the company that developed the aircraft.
This aircraft essentially represents a bold step in NASA’s mission to make supersonic travel a viable option for commercial purposes. At the unveiling ceremony of the aircraft held in January 2024, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said, “In just a few short years, we’ve gone from an ambitious concept to reality. NASA’s X-59 will help change how we travel, bringing us closer together in much less time.”
The aircraft, which has a single jet engine and is 99.7 feet long and 29.5 feet broad, will be flown by a single pilot. It is expected to have a design research speed of Mach 1.4, or 925 mph, flying at 55,000 feet.
The Race For Supersonic Flight
The quest to develop a supersonic aircraft is not new. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the Western Bloc (UK and France) were engaged in an intense rivalry to be the first to design and develop a supersonic aircraft for commercial flights.
However, just like the first space flight and the first space station, the Soviets won the race for the first supersonic flight as well. The Soviet Union developed the Tupolev Tu-144—the world’s first commercial supersonic transport aircraft.
The Soviet Tu-144 beat the Anglo-French Concorde in the skies twice: it had its maiden flight on December 31, 1968 – two months before Concorde – and then achieved its first supersonic flight in June 1969, beating the competition by four months.
However, there were rumors that the Soviets had stolen Concorde blueprints, which likely aided the Soviets in designing the Tupolev Tu-144 ahead of the Concorde. Indeed, there were more than passing similarities between the design of the world’s first two supersonic passenger aircraft.
Despite supersonic air travel becoming a reality by the mid-1970s, both the Tu-144 and Concorde programs had to be abandoned as they suffered from serious flaws, were economically unviable, and had poor safety records.
NASA Learns From Failed Soviet Tupolev Tu-144
The Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-144 aircraft was retired from commercial service in 1983. That could have been the end of the Tu-144 had it not been for NASA.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Cold War ended, and for a while, there were good relations between the U.S. and Russia.
In the early 1990s, NASA was working on the High-Speed Research Program (HSR) to develop the second generation of supersonic aircraft. Because NASA needed supersonic aircraft as test platforms, it selected the Tu-144.
NASA and Russian scientists developed the Tu-144LL Supersonic Flying Laboratory together. Overall, the project was a great success.
Nine experiments, including seven in the air and two on the ground, gathered crucial flight data that ramped up the U.S. and Russian supersonic flight databases. This research data ultimately helped NASA in its X-59 project as well.
In addition to the United States, China is working on a supersonic passenger aircraft that could be ready for its maiden flight by 2027. According to reports published earlier this month, the Chinese commercial aerospace company leading the project conducted the first test flight of a detonation ramjet engine.
Nevertheless, the U.S. appears to be leading the charge in making supersonic travel viable as the X-59 gears up for its first flight.
What Is The X-59?
This experimental aircraft is a daring step in NASA’s quest to make supersonic flying a feasible option for commercial use. It is designed to achieve speeds of 1.4 times the speed of sound, or an incredible 1,488 kilometers/hour.
A thin, tapered nose, constituting almost one-third of the aircraft’s total length, has been engineered to disperse shock waves that typically create disruptive sonic booms around supersonic planes.
Notably, engineers have taken additional measures to enhance the X-59’s supersonic capabilities. The forward-facing windows typically present in conventional airplanes have been removed, and the cockpit has been placed about midway down the length.
To overcome the problem of poor visibility in the cockpit, the X-59 has an external vision system. This technical marvel, consisting of high-resolution cameras feeding into an ultra-high-resolution monitor, can potentially impact future aircraft designs by removing forward-facing windows for engineering advantages.
Additionally, the X-59’s smooth underside and top-mounted engine show NASA’s commitment to reducing the effects of sonic booms. With its novel features and sleek design, the X-59 offers insight into the future of supersonic passenger travel, marking a significant advancement in aviation technology.
Following integrated systems testing, engine runs, and taxi testing, the X-59 will undergo its first flight and subsequent tests at Plant 42 before relocating to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center near Edwards Air Force Base in California.
NASA earlier stated that the first of the QueSST project’s three phases will end once initial flight testing is successfully completed. During the second phase of the Quesst program, flights over Edwards Air Force Base at the supersonic test range would be used to validate the core design.
The X-59 will fly over several areas of the United States as it enters the third phase, the Community Response Study.
Feedback from residents of the communities will be gathered throughout this phase, offering important insights into how the public reacts to the aircraft’s noise characteristics. Though the precise communities designated for this stage are still unknown, the third phase is anticipated between 2025 and 2026.
In the past, NASA has alluded to the possibility of including four to six cities located throughout the country in this extensive investigation.
The X-59’s purpose is to gather public opinion on the acceptability of this supersonic jet. This information will be used by the U.S. and international regulatory bodies to abolish the prohibition on supersonic flying over land. The latest afterburner test has brought NASA closer to achieving the ultimate goal.
- By: ET Digital Team
- Mail EurAsian Times at editor (at) eurasiantimes.com
