NASA’s X-59 Supersonic Aircraft May Allow You To Travel From New York To London In Half The Duration.

The aspiration for notably shorter transatlantic flights is quickly becoming a reality as NASA’s test X-59 supersonic aircraft, referred to as the “son of Concorde,” has successfully finished its first taxi tests. These essential ground movements, during which the aircraft operated independently at a slow speed, advance the innovative plane one step nearer to its eagerly awaited first flight later this year.

NASA announced in a press release that on July 10, the 100-foot-long and 30-foot-wide X-59 showcased its abilities on a runway at the US Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, highlighting a significant milestone in its development.

The successful taxi tests represent the last set of evaluations prior to the X-59’s flight, an occurrence that might initiate a new age of supersonic travel, possibly reducing flight durations between major cities such as New York and London. Envision having breakfast in New York and enjoying a mid-morning snack in London, a possibility that the X-59 seeks to achieve.

The space agency states that the taxiing marks the X-59’s final sequence of ground tests prior to its inaugural flight. In the next few weeks, the aircraft will slowly ramp up its speed, culminating in a high-speed taxi test that will bring the aircraft close to the takeoff threshold. Throughout the low-speed evaluations, engineers and flight crews observed the X-59’s performance while it traversed the runway, aiming to confirm essential systems such as steering and braking.

These inspections assist in confirming the aircraft’s stability and control under various conditions, providing pilots and engineers assurance that all systems are operating as intended. The X-59 serves as the focal point of NASA’s Quesst mission, designed to showcase silent supersonic flight by diminishing the loud sonic boom to a quieter “thump.”