NASA Quiet Supersonic Aircraft Named a Top Aerospace Innovation of 2019 by Popular Science Magazine

Vigilant Aerospace Systems congratulates NASA and Lockheed Martin on the new low-boom supersonic aircraft, the X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSSt), being selected by Popular Science Magazine as one of “The most impressive aerospace innovations of 2019.” Vigilant Aerospace provides FlightHorizonX to NASA’s supersonic research programs, allowing NASA researchers to track and log their supersonic flights. The FlightHorizonX software is a version of FlightHorizon specially modified to track NASA’s new, experimental supersonic transponders. These NASA supersonic research programs have included NASA’s SonicBAT (Sonic Booms in Atmospheric Turbulence) program, the QSF18 (Quiet Supersonic Flights) program, and the CST (Commercial Supersonic Technology) program. All have used FlightHorizonX for airspace situation awareness, traffic alerting and airspace logging. From the article:

“It’s been nearly a half-century since the FAA banned supersonic civilian flights over land because of the telltale booms they produce. NASA and Lockheed Martin hope to reverse that with their X-59 QueSST aircraft, currently under construction in California. The 97-foot-long experimental plane will fly faster than sound, but its designers have engineered it to do so as quietly as possible. Typical supersonic aircraft create a sonic boom when shock waves from the nose and tail merge; because of the X-59’s distinctive shape, those two ripples never do that, so the resulting sound is more like far-away thunder or a dull thump. If the initial flight, scheduled for 2021, goes well, the jet could help pave the way for airplanes that cut flight times in half.”

Vigilant Aerospace is looking forward to the further development of NASA supersonic aircraft and continuing to support these initiatives. Read more about FlightHorizon supporting the NASA Commercial Supersonic Technology program and supersonic flights:

• “FlightHorizon Used in NASA SonicBAT Research Flights for Situational Awareness, Airspace Logging.” August 29, 2017.
• “FlightHorizon Selected by NASA Commercial Supersonic Technology Program 2018-2019 for Airspace Situational Awareness, Flight Logging.” April 2, 2018.
• “Vigilant Aerospace Developing FlightHorizonX for Tracking and Safety of Supersonic Aircraft and Spacecraft.” April 15, 2018.
• “New NASA Report Highlights Aerospace Projects Utilizing FlightHorizon.” July 18, 2018.
• “NASA Uses FlightHorizonX to Track Experimental Transponder for Supersonic Flights, New FAA Standards.” September 25, 2018.
• “FlightHorizonX Provides Airspace Monitoring, Data Logging for NASA Supersonic Flights Near Galveston.” November 6, 2018.