NASA and Lockheed Martin show the X-59 QueSST supersonic aircraft preparing for its first test flight

By the end of the year, the experimental X-59 QueSST aircraft is due to make its first test flight. NASA has published several photos of the aircraft in preparation for a future test.

Here's What We Know

X-59 QueSST is equipped with a 4-meter propulsion system with a thrust of 10,000 kg. The space agency believes that the engine will allow the aircraft to fly without any sonic booms.

New images of the X-59 QueSST are captured between Lockheed Martin's hangar and the runway. The photos were taken at the Palmdale, California, facility. The aircraft is now undergoing ground testing.

NASA wants to prove the feasibility of supersonic flights over cities as part of the QueSST project. As part of the upcoming test, the plane will fly over several populated areas and specialists from the agency will gather information on how people react to sound.

People are expected to hear a soft popping sound, comparable in volume to the sound of a car door closing. The space agency will pass on the data it collects to international and US regulators in the hope of gaining approval for supersonic commercial flights over land.

Source: NASA