WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic experimental aircraft has made its highest and fastest flights so far, expanding its operational range and making progress toward supersonic flight.
The U.S. space agency said in a pair of test flights earlier this month, the aircraft reached new altitudes and speeds, reaching 43,000 feet and 528 to 627 mph, respectively, (approximately Mach 0.8 to 0.95 in those conditions). Those flights were the eighth and ninth overall for the X-59 and marked a jump from its previously reached altitude of 32,000 feet, attained on April 7.
The aircraft continues to make operational progress since its first flight at 230 mph at 12,000 feet - but its current phase of flight testing, known as envelope expansion, is about more than just speed and altitude.
In future flights, the team will also be looking at factors like the performance of its controls, loads and structural dynamics, and subsystems including hydraulics, fuel, avionics, landing gear, and more. They will also be monitoring the performance of the eXternal Vision System, the series of cameras located on the X-59 connected to a display in the cockpit. The system takes the place of a traditional forward windscreen.
The X-59 research aircraft is the centerpiece of Quesst, NASA Aeronautics' mission to help take the first step toward enabling commercial, faster-than-sound air travel over land.
The experimental supersonic jet is designed with technology that reduces the loudness of a sonic boom to a gentle thump. NASA will fly the X-59 over select U.S. communities and take surveys to record what people think of the quieter sonic thumps. The response data will be delivered to U.S. and international regulators, who will consider setting new rules that allow supersonic flight over land.
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