NASA Releases New X-59 Photo as Test Flights Top 55,000 Feet
NASA recently released a new photo of the X-59 QueSST technology demonstrator, an experimental aircraft designed to demonstrate that new technologies can enable supersonic flight without the disruptive sonic booms that led to bans on overland supersonic travel.
The newest image shows a previously unseen view of the X-59 from above, highlighting some of the unique airframe shaping and airfoil designs that reduce the strength of the shock waves generated in supersonic flight.
X-59 test flights continue to progress to higher speeds and altitudes. One of the latest flights, visible on flight tracking websites, shows that the aircraft reached 55,200 feet and 878 miles per hour. While the data reported by these websites is subject to errors in factors such as pressure altitude and winds aloft, it can nevertheless be observed that the test flights continue to push the performance to increasing heights.
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