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NASA's X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft Completes Second Flight
NASA's X-59 QueSST experimental aircraft has completed its second flight, advancing the program's mission to demonstrate that commercial supersonic flight over land is possible without generating disruptive sonic booms.
Key Takeaways
- NASA's X-59 completed its second test flight, beginning an intensive campaign toward demonstrating low-boom supersonic flight
- X-59's elongated fuselage design spreads shock waves to produce a ~75 dB thump rather than a disruptive sonic boom
- Community overflight tests will collect data regulators need to potentially revise the 50-year ban on overland supersonic commercial flight
- Commercial programs like Boom Supersonic's Overture would directly benefit from regulatory changes enabled by X-59 success
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DT Editorial AI··via nasa.gov