WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is preparing for some of its most significant flights yet. The X-plane is about to begin a new block of test flights that will include its first time flying faster than the speed of sound and other mission-critical objectives.
'What comes next is the first time this one-of-a-kind aircraft will fly supersonic,' said Cathy Bahm, project manager for NASA's Low Boom Flight Demonstrator. 'We are starting toward the mission conditions test point that X-59 was designed for.'
After months of flights, the X-59 team reviewed their progress in late May and now look toward the aircraft's next series of flight tests, including higher altitudes and faster speeds. This will give engineers a look at how the X-59 handles under required operational conditions for NASA's Quesst mission to eventually gather data on quiet supersonic flight, the U.S. space agency said.
The team expects the X-59 to fly supersonic - over 630 mph - for the first time at approximately 43,000 feet altitude during a series of test flights in early June, a major milestone for the aircraft. After that, it will conduct a 'mission conditions' flight, where it will hit Mach 1.4 (925 mph) at approximately 55,000 feet. That speed and altitude are important because they're NASA's performance targets for the X-59 to eventually fly over U.S. communities to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight and collect feedback data about the aircraft's quiet sonic 'thump' from the public.
While the X-59 is designed to fly at supersonic speeds without producing a loud sonic boom, these early flights are not yet intended to demonstrate its quiet supersonic capabilities. The X-59 will be accompanied by a traditional supersonic chase plane, so any quiet thump it produces in the current phase of testing will be obscured by louder, traditional sonic booms from the chase. In supersonic flights this summer, the chase aircraft will also be outfitted with a specialized shock-sensing probe to take initial measurements of the X-59's shock waves.
The X-59's first block of flights successfully met several test goals, generating data for its team to analyze. After making its first flight in October last year, it entered a scheduled period of maintenance before returning to the skies in March. It has since completed 14 additional flights
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