Maximum Afterburner: NASA's X-59 Supersonic Research Aircraft | Lockheed Martin

Maximum Afterburner: NASA's X-59 Supersonic Research Aircraft | Lockheed Martin

NASA's X-59 fires up its jet engine against a darkening sky, showcasing its unique Mach diamonds, also known as shock diamonds, during maximum afterburning testing at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California. The test demonstrated the engine's ability to generate the thrust required for supersonic flight, advancing NASA's Quesst Mission.

A closer view of the powerful afterburner exhaust coming from the tail of NASA's X-59 supersonic technology demonstrator, its characteristic Mach diamonds—also known as shock diamonds—visible in the superhot plume.

The nearly 100-foot-long X-59 sits partially inside a large run stall with the rear of the aircraft and its engine extending outside the run stall’s open bay door. Flames are visible from the engine, producing additional thrust during full afterburner tests.

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft completed its first maximum afterburner test at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California on Dec. 12, 2024. This full-power test, during which the engine generates additional thrust, validates the additional power needed for meeting the testing conditions of the aircraft. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission. It aims to overcome a major barrier to supersonic flight over land by reducing the noise of sonic booms. This marks a significant milestone as the X-59 team progresses toward flight.

An afterburner is a component of jet engines that generates additional thrust. Running the engine, an F414-GE-100, with afterburner will allow the X-59 to meet its supersonic speed requirements. The test demonstrated the engine’s ability to operate within temperature limits and with adequate airflow for flight. It also showed the engine’s ability to operate in sync with the aircraft’s other subsystems.

The X-59’s first flight is expected to occur in 2025.

The engine, a modified F414-GE-100, packs 22,000 pounds of thrust. This will enable the X-59 to achieve the desired cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (925 miles per hour) at an altitude of approximately 55,000 feet. It sits in a nontraditional spot–atop the aircraft—to aid in making the X-59 quieter.

The X-59's goal is to help change existing national and international aviation rules that ban commercial supersonic flight over land.

Learn more here:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/quesst/
https://www.nasa.gov/flightlog

X-59 Free Maker Bundle (STEM Education):
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/x-59-maker-bundle-v8.pdf

Image Credit: Lockheed Martin Corporation/Garry Tice

Release Date: Dec. 20, 2024

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