NASA Clears Its Quiet Supersonic Jet X-59 For Final Assembly
NASA will soon begin assembling its experimental aircraft X-59. Lockheed Martin has designed this Quiet SuperSonic Technology-based experimental jet. The U.S. space agency is expecting to conduct the first commercial flight for X-59 in 2021.
NASA has managed to build its first large-scale experimental plane in over the past three decades. Now, it is aiming to mitigate the noise generated by a sonic boom. When the experimental aircraft transit with supersonic speeds, it would create a lot of noise at a constant rate. Since it will be commuting at the height of 55,000 Feet, the noise on the ground would not be audible.
The space agency has stated that it would conduct the audibility test by flying the X-59 jet over selected US communities. Earlier also, NASA conducted a similar test by launching the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft over a city in Texas. Based on the feedback from those trials, new regulations will be set for commercial supersonic air travel.
On a related note, India is continuously strengthening its defense force by expanding military force and upgrading weapons. A new aerial weapon in the form of advanced fighter jet 42 Su-30MKI would be served as a backbone for the IAF (Indian Air Force). The modified jet, manufactured by Russia’s Sukhoi Design Bureau, is designed to hold and aim BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
So far, India has already received around 200 fighter jets and is expected to purchase 282 of them. According to a report, the Su-30 jet will augment the deadly effect of BrahMos missile by adding extra launch momentum to it. The jet is capable of transiting at up to 1,800 Kilometers while the supersonic missile strikes the aim from the range of 300 Kilometers. This much range is enough for India to strike the nuclear missile deep in the heart of adjoining adversaries, particularly Pakistan and China.