Currently, flying faster than the speed of sound over land is prohibited for commercial flights because it creates disruptive sonic booms. NASA's experimental X-59 plane will research how to turn those booms into "sonic thumps," about as loud as a slamming car door. Lead pilot Nils Larson explains how the X-59 could usher in the next era of commercial supersonic flight.

Small Steps, Giant Leaps

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Bringing Back Supersonic Flight

JAN 21, 202625 MIN
Small Steps, Giant Leaps

Bringing Back Supersonic Flight

JAN 21, 202625 MIN

Description

Currently, flying faster than the speed of sound over land is prohibited for commercial flights because it creates disruptive sonic booms. NASA's experimental X-59 plane will research how to turn those booms into "sonic thumps," about as loud as a slamming car door. Lead pilot Nils Larson explains how the X-59 could usher in the next era of commercial supersonic flight.