NASA’s FIRST “Quiet” Supersonic Jet (X-59)

NASA just built an $839 million dollar experimental aircraft that will travel faster than the speed of sound without creating a sonic boom, enabling supersonic passenger jets to travel over land. The aircraft, called the X-59, featured a very distinctive airframe that is optimized for supersonic flight to reduce the amplitude of sonic booms. It has a mixed composite and metal airframe, many control surfaces for dynamic stability and a General Electric F414 afterburning turbofan engine with up to 22,000 pounds of thrust. This high power propulsion enables the X-59 to reach a max speed of Mach 1.5, or 990 miles per hour, with a cruise speed of Mach 1.42 at an altitude of 55,000 feet. At a total length of 99.7 feet, the aircraft program costs $839 million dollars in total. Since work began in April, 2018, the X-59 program has advanced significantly. Between 2019 and 2021, the aircraft was manufactured and in early 2022, it underwent structural testing. Throughout 2022 and 2023, the aircraft was fitted with all of its internal systems and as of late-2024, the aircraft has undergone engine runs and is now preparing for its first flight. Over the coming years, the aircraft will fly over select US cities, collecting data on the sound produced by the X-59 with the goal of retracting bans on overland supersonic flight.

If you enjoyed this video, please consider subscribing to Futurology for more similar content!

Thank you to the following sources!

Information

Video Chapters
0:00 - 6:53 Background
6:53 - 12:15 The Design
12:15 - 16:19 Manufacturing
16:19 - 18:14 The Missions

[AluminumOxide]

9:52 in metric units: Length - 3.9m, Diameter - 88.9 cm, Thrust - 57.83 kN; with afterburner - 97.86 kN, and Speed - 1, 594 km/h. At 11:52, the length is 30.4 m, Wingspan - 9.05m, Height - 4.26 m. MTOW - 11, 022 kg.

[Ynhockey]

Hi, it would be very helpful if the metric measurements at least appeared on screen, even if you don't say them out loud. Thanks!

[jinalexia]

Next video plz talk about “ Funan Techo Canal “ Cambodia 🇰🇭

[dantetre]

1:00 The Concord wasn't the first supersonic commercial aircraft.
It was the Tu-144.

[TheEbbemonster]

Your videos are excellent with or without your face. I suspect it is faster to make "with face" videos as they require less editing. But either is fine :)

[dantetre]

Metric! 95% of the World uses Metric.
And also most of it uses DD/MM/YYYY format...

[sethharnden]

How is this guy's voice so handsome?

[dantetre]

17:10 Hope they will make asking where the plane not even flew.
Because complaining Karens live all around Murica...