Lockheed and NASA Unveil Supersonic Jet X-59 That Curbs Window-Shattering Sonic Boom
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Lockheed Martin Corp. and NASA gave the public a sneak peek of a plane that could pave the way for cutting some flight times in half. The X-59, which was unveiled on Friday afternoon in Palmdale, California, has been designed to fly faster than the speed of sound with much less noise. When planes break the sound barrier — called Mach 1 — a loud and continuous sonic boom is created that can shatter windows on the ground. The US banned civilian aircraft from reaching this speed over land in 1973.“This breakthrough really redefines the feasibility of commercial supersonic travel over land,” said Pam Melroy, NASA deputy administrator and a former commander of the space shuttle, during the ceremony to unveil the nearly 100-foot-long (30 meters) plane. “It brings us closer to a future...