Lockheed Martin X-59 QueSST supersonic test aircraft receives General Electric F-414-GE-100 engine before first test flight

Lockheed Martin and General Electric Aerospace have equipped the X-59 QueSST supersonic test aircraft with an engine.

Here's What We Know

The X-59 QueSST (Quiet Supersonic Technology) is a Lockheed Martin test aircraft that was developed for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The federal agency received the aircraft in 2021.

By the end of this year, NASA plans to conduct a series of ground tests of the supersonic aircraft. The success of QueSST is expected to bring the launch of cargo and passenger aircraft at supersonic speeds closer.

The X-59 QueSST received the F-414-GE-100 engine. It was installed at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California. The engine will allow the aircraft to reach speeds up to Mach 1.4 (1,715 km/h) at an altitude of about 17 km.

The first flight of the X-59 will take place in 2023. In 2025, the supersonic aircraft will fly over populated areas so that experts can collect information about people's reactions to sound.

Source: Aerospace Manufacturing

Image: NASA