Astronomy

3967 readers

7 users here now

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

Sal@mander.xyz

Nasa unveils quiet supersonic aircraft in effort to revive commercial flights (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 9 months ago by Blaze@discuss.tchncs.de to c/astronomy@mander.xyz

13 comments fedilink hide all child comments

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/10656840

In launch event on Friday, agency shared plans to test over US cities to see if it’s quiet enough by engaging ‘the people below’

Nasa has unveiled a one-of-a-kind quiet supersonic aircraft as part of the US space agency’s mission to make commercial supersonic flight possible.

In a joint ceremony with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, on Friday, Nasa revealed the X-59, an experimental aircraft that is expected to fly at 1.4 times the speed of sound – or 925mph (1,488 km/h).

The aircraft, which stands at 99.7ft (30.4 metres) long and 29.5ft wide, has a thin, tapered nose that comprises nearly a third of the aircraft’s full length – a feature designed to disperse shock waves that would typically surround supersonic aircraft and result in sonic booms.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] thefluffiest@feddit.nl 14 points 9 months ago (1 children)

And exactly how much CO2 emissions does this thing generate?

[–] joostjakob@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago

It makes me so mad we don't just tell the flight industry that by date X no planes that use traditional fuel can be produced, and by date Y that they won't be allowed to fly. Doesn't even need to a global agreement, if the European market is closed, than that could be motivation enough. And it would focus innovation on efficiency instead of frivolous stiff like this.