What is the supersonic plane NASA is introducing today and why it could change the way we fly

Supersonic aircraft are aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound. Although they were incredibly fast, they also created shock waves with a deafening noise similar to an explosion.

In 1973, the US government banned commercial supersonic flights over the country due to the noise pollution they caused. But that could change if results from NASA’s supersonic X-59 mission prove positive.

Today, NASA and prime contractor Lockheed Martin will officially unveil the complete X-59 supersonic aircraft to the world.

This is a unique experimental aircraft that will demonstrate the ability to fly at supersonic speeds. Instead of a normal sonic boom, this will cause a soft “sonic boom”.

It’s part of a NASA mission called QueSST, an acronym that stands for Quiet Supersonic Technology. The space agency developed it in collaboration with aircraft manufacturer Lockheed.

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