NASA’s X-59 Rollout Embodies Aeronautical Tradition

NASA’s X-59 Rollout Embodies Aeronautical Tradition

In preparation for the first leg of its quest to travel faster than the speed of sound without producing a loud sonic boom, NASA's X-59 aircraft is leaving the hangar.

At a rollout ceremony on Friday, January 12 at 4 p.m. EST, representatives from NASA and prime contractor Lockheed Martin will formally present the completed and newly painted X-59 to the public. The aircraft was assembled at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works plant in Palmdale, California, and will be shown live on NASA TV.

"This is the big reveal," declared Catherine Bahm, the project manager for NASA's Low Boom Flight Demonstrator, who is in charge of the X-59's development and construction. "The launch represents a significant step toward realizing the main objective of the Quesst project, which is to reduce the sonic boom."

NASA's project called Quesst will allow the X-59 to show off its quiet supersonic capabilities. NASA is going to fly the plane over a few American villages and then record the sounds that the occupants on the ground make as it passes over. Regulators, who may subsequently take into consideration restrictions that now prohibit commercial supersonic flight over land due to noise concerns, will receive data from the agency regarding these responses to the softer sonic "thumps."

Tradition of Rollout

Then, what is a rollout of aircraft? And what does it mean for the team of aeronautical innovators that constructed the X-59, NASA, and industry stakeholders?

An entirely new airplane requires years of painstaking, rigorous work to design, produce, and test. Every new design contributes to the innovation of a new method of flight, particularly in the case of X-planes, whose primary goal is to continuously push the envelope of what is practical.

The X-59's public unveiling symbolizes not just the aircraft's technological prowess but also the spirit of aviation research and the future of flight.

Rollout ceremonies for NASA-built and -operated aircraft and spacecraft have varied in scale and significance in the past.

For instance, the inaugural X-15 rocket-powered aircraft was unveiled with tremendous pomp in 1959 in front of project leadership, the pilots, and Vice President Richard Nixon. The airplane was a representation of hypersonic and winged spaceflight in the future. It proceeded to launch American pilots into space in a winged spacecraft for the first time and set a record for the fastest human flight speed that is still in place today.

Crowds gather on Oct. 15, 1958, to admire the first X-15 rocket plane after its rollout from the North American Aviation plant in Los Angeles. One of NASA’s most historic aircraft, it flew 199 missions between 1959 and 1968 during a program that included NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Navy.

The Enterprise space shuttle launch in 1976, which was witnessed by Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek: The Original Series, and the show's ensemble, is another well-known NASA launch. The Enterprise demonstrated that the shuttle orbiter could descend and land like an airplane after reentry from space. The name of the spacecraft was inspired by the fictitious starship from the 1960s television series. The vehicle made spaceflight possible for the Space Shuttle Program.

NASA officials and representatives from the TV show Star Trek, including creator Gene Roddenberry, were on hand for Enterprise’s rollout from its Rockwell factory in Palmdale, California, on Sept. 17, 1976.

NASA

Culmination of Efforts

Regarding the X-59, the launch ceremony offers a silent window into a possible new future of quiet high-speed commercial aviation over land.

Because of worries about the noise produced by sonic booms, the US banned commercial supersonic flight over land fifty years ago. However, with today's technology, Quesst may significantly lessen this noise. The mission's goal is to collect data from the X-59 that may be used by regulators to modify the prohibition by basing new guidelines on noise levels rather than speed.

"It's really exciting to think about lifting the ban on supersonic flight over land," Bahm stated. "And the X-59 could pave the way for that future."

The rollout also symbolizes something more grounded: the accomplishment of the diligent, committed crew that brought the airplane from a concept to a reality. They view the launch as a celebration of the many weeks, months, and years that went into creating and perfecting the X-59.

"The unveiling of the X-59 will be a very special moment for the team, some of whom have worked on the aircraft since the first component was created." stated Bahm. The X-59's inventive design makes use of decades of NASA labor. We are celebrating this accomplishment together with everyone who helped make it happen.

NASA's mission to silence the boom enters a new phase with the completion of assembly. The prospective future of commercial supersonic flying is closer than it was previously, albeit still being a long way off. With the first flight scheduled for later this year, the Quesst mission team will now proceed with ground testing.

Although "rollout" is a significant achievement, Bahm noted that first flight and subsequently supersonic travel will be the next big milestones. "We are focused on the mission."