In July, Lockheed Martin completed the build of NASA’s X-59 test aircraft, which is designed to turn sonic booms into mere thumps, in the hope of making overland supersonic flight a possibility. Ground tests and a first test flight are planned for later in the year. NASA aims to have enough data to hand over to US regulators in 2027.

  • zephyreks@programming.dev
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    2年前

    This is the only way to remain competitive when the US’ largest rivals are able to tap state funding for research.

    You don’t see the military applications of large-scale supersonic flight?

    • GarbageShoot [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      2年前

      Then it goes from “waste of money” to “actively bad”. God knows the last thing the US needs are new technologies with “military applications”