<strong>NASA's supersonic mission:</strong> In a joint ceremony with Lockheed Martin on January 12, 2023, NASA revealed its X-59 experimental airplane.
NASA's supersonic mission: In a joint ceremony with Lockheed Martin on January 12, 2023, NASA revealed its X-59 experimental airplane.
Steve Freeman/NASA
<strong>Test pilots:</strong> NASA pilots Nils Larson (left) and Jim "Clue" Less (right), and Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan "Dog" Canin pose with the newly painted X-59 as it sits on the ramp at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California.
Test pilots: NASA pilots Nils Larson (left) and Jim "Clue" Less (right), and Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan "Dog" Canin pose with the newly painted X-59 as it sits on the ramp at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California.
Steve Freeman/NASA
<strong>Time-saver: </strong>The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA's Quesst mission, which aims to minimize cross-country travel time by making supersonic flight over land feasible.
Time-saver: The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA's Quesst mission, which aims to minimize cross-country travel time by making supersonic flight over land feasible.
Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
<strong>Media preview</strong>: The X-59 is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound, but with much less noise.
Media preview: The X-59 is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound, but with much less noise.
Eric Thayer/Bloomberg/Getty Images
<strong>The build: </strong>A shot of the X-59 under construction at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division. The plane is almost 100 feet long and has a wingspan of just under 30 feet.
The build: A shot of the X-59 under construction at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division. The plane is almost 100 feet long and has a wingspan of just under 30 feet.
Lockheed Martin
<strong>Cockpit: </strong>The plane has no forward-facing window due its streamlined nose, so instead the X-59's unique eXternal Vision System provides the pilot with high-definition displays showing what's ahead.
Cockpit: The plane has no forward-facing window due its streamlined nose, so instead the X-59's unique eXternal Vision System provides the pilot with high-definition displays showing what's ahead.
Garry Tice/NASA
<strong>The 'boom' issue: </strong>The aim of the plane is to gather data to convince the regulatory bodies to allow supersonic planes to fly supersonically over land, currently not permitted because of sonic booms.
The 'boom' issue: The aim of the plane is to gather data to convince the regulatory bodies to allow supersonic planes to fly supersonically over land, currently not permitted because of sonic booms.
NASA
<strong>When will it fly?</strong> The plane is almost fully built, and the current plan is for the aircraft to take off for the first time later this year.
When will it fly? The plane is almost fully built, and the current plan is for the aircraft to take off for the first time later this year.
Senior Airman Christine Groening/NASA