NASA has announced it is developing a three-year timeline that will lead to the first flight of its X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft, the company said.
This milestone comes after a rigorous review, Key Decision Point-C (KDP-C), that confirmed NASA´s continued support of the X-59, in terms of funding, and established an achievable development timeline for NASA´s first piloted, full-size X-plane in more than three decades.
The X-59 QueSST is shaped to reduce the loudness of a sonic boom to that of a gentle thump, if it´s heard at all. The supersonic aircraft will be flown above select US communities to measure public perception of the noise — data that will help regulators establish new rules for commercial supersonic air travel over land.
Management of X-59 QueSST development falls under the Low Boom Flight Demonstrator project, part of the Integrated Aviation Systems Program in NASA´s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
