If you are travelling from India to any other country, it will take you at least eight hours. But what if we tell you that you could reach these destinations within 2 hours? Impossible, right? Well, with NASA planning to launch a suborbital flight, it will soon be possible! Here is everything you need to know about the suborbital flight, X-59.
NASA Planning To Launch Suborbital Flight
A new era in ultrafast air travel is about to begin in the aviation industry, around two decades after Concorde’s last flight. The NASA-developed X-59 AKA “Son of Concorde,” an experimental supersonic aircraft. It is now preparing for its first test flight.
Although the X-59 is smaller and less powerful than Concorde, it still has a top speed of over 1,500 kmph. With this development, it is possible to cut the distance between New York and London’s airports in half! And that is a remarkable 3 hours and 30 minutes.
There are even more promising advancements in the works. An astounding 22-hour journey from London to Sydney could be reduced to just two hours by 2033, according to a fresh study from the Civil Aviation Authority of Britain.
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Travel Time To Be Reduced To Just 2 Hrs!
Notably, suborbital flights like those created by Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic jet programme and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are redefining the possibilities for air travel. These flights provide unmatched prospects for time savings, thanks to their astounding 3,500 mph operating speed.
Imagine making the 15-hour trip from New York to Shanghai in just 39 minutes instead of the current 15 hours. Similar to this, it normally takes less than an hour to go from New York to London.
The X-59 has a revolutionary design element known as “Quiet Supersonic Technology”. It is intended to lessen the obtrusive sonic boom that is generally created when an aircraft crosses the sound barrier.
According to NASA, the X-59’s distinctive design prevents shockwaves from combining, producing a quieter sonic thump as opposed to the conventionally loud sonic boom produced by other supersonic aircraft.
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Due to its reduced noise impact, this invention represents a huge advancement in making supersonic flying more socially acceptable.
Cover Image Courtesy: NASA/ Website