NASA's X-59 jet to change air travel
NASA's new X-59 jet just finished its first taxi tests in California—a big step before its first real flight later this year.
Built with Lockheed Martin, it's part of NASA's push to make supersonic planes that don't blast out those ear-splitting sonic booms.
The super-pointy nose helps reduce the usual loud boom
This jet is almost 100 feet long, and its super-pointy nose helps turn the usual loud boom into a soft "thump."
That means it could fly faster than sound over land without shaking up people below.
It even borrows parts from classic military jets like the F-16 and F-15.
NASA will collect data on people's reaction to thumps
Starting in 2026, the X-59 will fly over US neighborhoods to see how people react to its quiet sonic "thumps."
NASA hopes this data will help change FAA rules that have banned supersonic flights over land for decades—maybe opening the door for fast, quiet air travel in our lifetime.