NASA successfully completed the first full burn test of its X-59 experimental aircraft, a major step towards achieving quieter supersonic flight. The test, conducted at NASA’s Skunk Works facility, validated the performance of the X-59’s afterburner and its integration with other systems.
NASA has completed the first full burn test for its X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft. The test, conducted on December 12 at NASA ’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, is a major milestone for the project as it ramps for full flight testing. The afterburner is an essential component of the X-59 ’s F414-GE-100 engine to enable the aircraft to achieve supersonic flight speeds. According to NASA , the test successfully operated within expected temperature limits.
Airflow over the aircraft’s frame was also well within the expected parameters. The test also validated the team’s expectations for the afterburner operating in sync with the X-59’s other subsystems. This test follows a low-speed engine run-up in October of this year, also conducted at Skunk Works, to check for leaks and other potential issues. The X-59 project has progressed at a rapid pace since NASA officially announced it to the public in 2023. The F414-GE-100 engine delivers around 22,000 pounds of thrust, providing enough power to push the X-59 to Mach 1.4 at approximately 55,000 feet. The engine is also located in a nacelle atop the aircraft (similar to the third engine of the McDonnell Douglas DC-8), which helps reduce the noise generated by the aircraft when going supersonic. Tests, like the recent afterburner fire-up, help the design team find faults or other issues with this experimental aircraft. This, in turn, will help resurrect this form of transport from the dead since the retirement of the famous Concorde. To this end, the Quesst mission collaborates with other commercial partners to help reduce long-distance flight times across the United States and the globe. The X-59 has been designed in such a way as to produce more of a “sonic thump” when breaking the sound barrier, rather than the traditional “sonic boom”, to minimize disturbance to people on the ground
NASA X-59 Supersonic Flight Sonic Boom Quiet Technology
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