NASA Captures First Air-to-Air Images of Supersonic Shockwave Interaction in Flight

NASA has successfully tested an advanced air-to-air photographic technology in flight, capturing the first-ever images of the interaction of shockwaves from two supersonic aircraft in flight. The images, originally monochromatic and shown here as composite colored images, were captured during the fourth phase of Air-to-Air Background Oriented Schlieren flights, or AirBOS, which took place at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The flight series saw successful testing of an upgraded imaging system capable of capturing high-quality images of shockwaves, rapid pressure changes which are produced when an aircraft flies faster than the speed of sound, or supersonic. Shockwaves produced by aircraft merge together as they travel through the atmosphere and are responsible for what is heard on the ground as a sonic boom.

The system will be used to capture data crucial to confirming the design of the agency’s X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology X-plane, or X-59 QueSST, which will fly supersonic, but will produce shockwaves in such a way that, instead of a loud sonic boom, only a quiet rumble may be heard. The ability to fly supersonic without a sonic boom may one day result in lifting current restrictions on supersonic flight over land.

[buenaventuralosgrandes]

The fact there's no music or voice in background makes it even more amazing

[DanFrederiksen]

I was thinking that if supersonic the wavefront would be more bent back but it's because it's just over the speed of sound, not 2x or 3x. It's a straight line at mach 1. 45 degrees at mach 2.

[tarcisofilho]

What kind of photograph technique was used? It looks very simialr to a Schlieren's photograph, but some sources mention it's a new technique developed by NASA. What is its name?

[senseimilli]

What does this all mean... So we're saying you figured out the fabric of space and time through high quality imaging at supersonic speeds??

[Gkucuk]

This is why I love America....we`re always innovating and inventing new technologies all the time and everyone else in the world wants to steal it while they talk shit...