NASA is gearing up to unveil its innovative X-59 supersonic aircraft during a special ceremony on Friday, January 12. Partnering with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, NASA will showcase the X-59, fully completed and painted, for the first time. Scheduled for 4:00 PM EST on January 12 (or 2:30 AM IST on January 13), the rollout event will be broadcast live on YouTube and NASA+.

This aircraft marks a crucial step in the mission to bring back commercial supersonic jets. Unlike previous supersonic planes notorious for their loud sonic booms, the X-59 is engineered to generate a much softer 'sonic thump'.

Catherine Bahm, overseeing the X-59's development for NASA's Low Boom Flight Demonstrator project, expressed excitement about the reveal: "This rollout is a significant milestone in our Quesst mission to minimize the impact of sonic booms."

The Quesst mission involves a series of planned X-59 flights to showcase its subdued sonic thump as it accelerates to supersonic speeds over land. Currently, regulations prohibit such flights due to the disruptive noise caused by sonic booms. Feedback collected during the Quesst missions from the public will be instrumental in understanding perceptions of the aircraft's sonic impact.

Regulators plan to utilize this feedback to evaluate the X-59's sonic signature during test flights overhead, potentially leading to a revision of bans on supersonic flights over land and the establishment of new regulations. This rollout signifies a crucial step towards future supersonic flights. The X-59 will be flown over specific U.S. communities to gather regulatory feedback. Successful initial test flights could result in the reintroduction of supersonic flights over land and the lifting of existing bans.

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