In the case of supersonic flight , the technology has matured dramatically since Chuck Yaeger first broke the sound barrier on October 14, 1947. Many years have passed, but despite this, we still do not have a supersonic aircraft. commercial level. And it is that there is, or was, a major obstacle to being able to implement it to the general public. NASA believes it has the solution to this dilemma.
What is the problem?
Essentially the sonic boom . Breaking the sound barrier constantly is… very loud and groundbreaking, literally . That noise not only disturbed people, but also broke windows, among other things.
“That first supersonic flight was a huge achievement , and now you see how far we’ve come since then. What we’re doing now is the culmination of much of their work,” said Catherine Bahm, an aeronautical engineer at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.
How to get ‘quiet’ commercial supersonic flights?
NASA intends to use the QueSST mission to demonstrate that the X-59 can fly faster than sound without producing those horrible sonic booms that led to the ban on supersonic flights over the earth in 1973, during the presidency of Richard Nixon.
The 75-year test flight will take place over several neighborhoods to see how residents respond to the “bump,” if they notice any difference. If all goes as expected, the restrictions will be lifted.
“And when that happens, it will mark another historic milestone in flight, potentially opening a new era in air travel, where airline passengers could board a supersonic plane at breakfast time in Los Angeles to make a reservation for the lunch in New York City,” says NASA.
Referencia: NASA Poised to Break Sound Barrier in New Way. Jim Banke
Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. NASA Press Release 2022
