FlightHorizonX Provides Airspace Monitoring, Data Logging for NASA Supersonic Flights Near Galveston

NASA launched the Quiet Supersonic Flights (QSF18) out of Galveston, Texas this week. The flights missions include up to eight flights per day with the flights occurring in the mornings and the afternoons over a two week period starting November 5.

FlightHorizonX Actively Monitoring and Logging Supersonic Flights

NASA is using our FlightHorizonX, a supersonic version of our FlightHorizon GCS designed to support NASA’s Commercial Supersonic Technology Program, to monitor these flights and provide detailed flight logs. Read more about how NASA is using FlightHorizonX for the Quiet Supersonic Flights in our previous posts: “NASA Uses FlightHorizonX to Track Experimental Transponder for Supersonic Flights, New FAA Standards” and “Vigilant Aerospace Developing FlightHorizonX for Tracking and Safety of Supersonic Aircraft and Spacecraft.”

Why is NASA Focusing on Supersonic Flight Technology and Public Perception of Sonic Thumps?

The objective of this series of Quiet Supersonic Flights tests is to obtain community feedback on public perception on the quiet supersonic “thumps” in order to work with the FAA towards creating new flight regulations to allow commercial supersonic flights over land. Public feedback on these flights will help to set a standard for acceptable “low booms” produced from the quiet supersonic flights, which are designed to mimic the sounds from the Low-Boom Flight Demonstration X-Plane currently under development by NASA and expected to fly in 2021. This public survey is a precursor to the national surveys that NASA will do in 2021 with the X-Plane and will help to test and finesse the methodologies that will be used to obtain public responses for those future flights. All of these flight tests are to support the development of commercial supersonic aircraft capable of drastically decreasing travel times without disturbing people below. Testing the X-Plane is a much bigger step towards building quiet supersonic aircraft and creating regulations allowing for supersonic flights over land. NASA expects opening the market to supersonic aircraft will not only provide benefits in shorter travel times, but also open the global markets for manufacturers and operators and provide more high-quality jobs in the U.S. to meet the demand for the supersonic products and services market.

NASA Prepares for Future of Supersonic Experimental Flight

Quiet Supersonic Flights and Collecting Research Data

This series of Quiet Supersonic Flights is based out of Ellington Field in Galveston, Texas and is expected to possibly affect surrounding cities (see flight test map for reference). Data on the sonic “thumps” is being collected in the form of community response surveys and sound measurements from equipment on the ground. NASA has 500 community response volunteers from the Galveston area providing feedback during these flights. However, NASA is also asking that anyone in the surrounding communities who has feedback to provide submit comments via their Citizen Science form posted online. NASA will be comparing all responses to data collected from 20 audio sensors they have set up around the city to measure acoustic exposure to the sonic “thumps” from the flights to build a full profile of the sound measurements and responses from different areas of the city.

Media Day Event

NASA is hosting a media day event on Friday, November 9 at Ellington Field, which is located north of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, and will provide the opportunity for members of the media to observe the field equipment and interview personnel between the flights. More details on the media day event, read NASA’s announcement: “NASA Invites Media to Observe Quiet Supersonic Flight Series Operations.” For more information on NASA’s Quiet Supersonic Flights, visit www.NASA.gov/QSF18. Related Articles from NASA:

• “NASA Goes Quiet Over Galveston for Flight Series.” NASA.gov; 30  October 2018.
• “What’s QSF18 All About?” NASA.gov; 2 November 2018.
• “What Did You Hear? Be a QSF18 Citizen Scientist.” NASA.gov;  2 November 2018.
• “NASA Invites Media to Observe Quiet Supersonic Flight Series Operations.” NASA.gov; 2 November 2018.
• “Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018.” NASA.gov [PDF]

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