Posted on 03/07/2025 9:25:19 AM PST by Red Badger
In a stunning series of images, NASA has revealed the moment an experimental supersonic aircraft broke the sound barrier without producing a sonic boom audible at ground level.
The images were obtained using specialized photographic methods during flight tests with the XB-1, a demonstrator aircraft produced by Boom Supersonic, the company behind the development of the world’s fastest airliner, Overture.
The collaboration between NASA and Boom Supersonic offers a rare view of supersonic flight. Visual confirmation of shock waves and other data provide new insights into how aeronautical engineers can reduce the impact of sonic booms, ushering in a new era of supersonic travel without noise.
Supersonic Flight without Audible Sonic Booms
The XB-1’s second supersonic flight occurred over the Mojave Desert on February 10, 2025. NASA scientists on-site employed a unique variety of photography to capture the air disturbance produced by the aircraft as it passed overhead.
The special technique employed by the NASA team, known as Schlieren photography, dates back to the 1860s and is used today to visualize the flow of air around objects. This technique is particularly useful in the study of supersonic motion.
Subsequent analysis by Boom’s team of technicians confirmed that no audible sonic boom reached the ground during the February flight test, marking a crucial milestone in helping to determine the feasibility of quiet supersonic travel.
Capturing the Shock Waves of Supersonic Flight
Currently, the XB-1 is the first independently developed civil supersonic jet and became the first privately built aircraft to exceed the speed of sound in January 2025.
Although NASA provided the specialized imaging equipment to document the XB-1’s flight tests in February, the American space agency has its own separate Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) program, which involves NASA’s experimental X-59 aircraft.
NASA’s use of ground-based telescopes with special filters allowed Boom’s researchers to detect the shock waves surrounding XB-1 as it accelerated beyond Mach 1.
During the test, Boom’s Chief Test Pilot, Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg, was required to position the company’s aircraft at a precisely calculated waypoint that placed the XB-1 directly in front of the sun. The maneuver was no small feat and required split-second timing and advanced avionics guidance.
The XB-1 captured in Schlieren imagery the moment it breaks the sound barrier, while producing no sonic boom (Credit: NASA/Boom Supersonic).
“This image makes the invisible visible—the first American-made civil supersonic jet breaking the sound barrier,” said Blake Scholl, Founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, in a statement released this week.
“Thanks to Geppetto’s exceptional flying and our partnership with NASA, we were able to capture this iconic image. We also confirmed that XB-1 made no audible sonic boom, which paves the way for coast-to-coast flights up to 50% faster,” Scholl added.
Proof of Supersonic Flight at the ‘Mach Cutoff’
During the experimental flight last month, NASA and Boom produced advanced modeling of atmospheric conditions prior to the XB-1’s takeoff. This allowed them to better gauge the occurrence of what is known as Mach cutoff, a phenomenon that occurs when a sonic boom refracts in the atmosphere, preventing it from reaching the ground.
During testing, NASA used specially placed microphones and sound pressure recording devices to collect data along the XB-1’s flight path. As Boom’s analysts had hoped, data revealed that the XB-1’s supersonic flights could be achieved without producing a sonic boom that reached the ground, which aligns with NASA’s ongoing research into commercial supersonic travel.
From XB-1 to Overture: The Future of Supersonic Travel
Since the test flights last month, Boom has announced its intent to begin integrating its findings into the development of Overture, the company’s next-generation supersonic airliner.
Featuring the company’s Boomless Cruise technology, which enables quiet supersonic travel up to Mach 1.3, Overture is expected to reduce travel from coast to coast in the United States by as much as 90 minutes. If all goes according to plan, Overture will be the fastest and most efficient airliner in production, which the company says will be optimized for speed, safety, and sustainability.
The supersonic airliner is expected to operate on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and the company says it has already secured 130 orders and pre-orders from airlines, including American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. Boom is also in talks with defense contractor Northrop Grumman regarding potential defense applications for their new supersonic technology.
The End of XB-1’s Flight Test Program
As for the XB-1, the aircraft, which first flew in March 2024, as production efforts move toward the development of Overture, the original prototype will now return to Denver, Colorado, where Boom will scale its learnings to advance the development of its highly anticipated supersonic airliner.
As full-scale production of Overture nears, Boom recently announced the completion of its new super factory facility in Greensboro, North Carolina. There, the company says that up to 66 of its aircraft will be able to be produced annually.
With the successful completion of XB-1’s test flights and NASA’s validation of Boomless Cruise, the future of commercial supersonic travel is looking to be much quieter than its past iterations. This is thanks to the successful combination of speed and efficiency with revolutionary low-volume supersonic flight technologies.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. He can be reached by email at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow his work at micahhanks.com and on X: @MicahHanks.
Aviation Ping!......................
I’ve been using this technology to develop my quiet flatuence AKA known as the Silent Killer.
Had to look it up, didn’t realize that the Concorde was a UK/France government funded plane - thought it was non-govt. I was wrong.
I wonder how they got rid of the sonic boom. My guess is it’s still there, just not very loud.
Back in the 80’s sonic booms would cause head crashes in the Hard Disk Drives of the day.
Where’s the kaboom? There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering kaboom!
another UAP. lol
I suspect more of a BS ping.
A local claimed that sonic booms were killing his chickens
SONIC BOOMS CAUSE GLOBAL WARMING!
</sarc>
On earth the airports are very close to population centers. But going 500knots, it doesnt take very long for the plane to be well out of town. SO, why all this worry about quiet planes when we could just make it protocol to clear Mach 1.0 in certain places, yadda, yadda, yadda. It aint that far to out in the country, especially as the crow flys.
The change (increase) in atmospheric density with lower altitude causes the shock wave to refract upward, thus it never reaches the ground.
This is a result of the specific speed and altitude at which the shock wave is formed.
My department is researching the wall-shaking variety.
You can hear a sonic boom from a very long way off.
I am am reminded of Don Garlits’ words about Swamp Rat XXX, his streamlined dragster; something along the lines of poking a hole in the air and driving right through.
WHAT?!?! I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!
“In a stunning series of images, NASA has revealed the moment an experimental supersonic aircraft broke the sound barrier without producing a sonic boom audible at ground level.”
It “broke” the sound barrier BEFORE the photos were taken.
This pop science article is poorly written because it seems support the incorrect premise that a “boom” is created where the aircraft goes through (Is this what you mean by “clears”?) Mach 1, like popping a balloon at that spot. In fact shock waves are produced and pushed along the entire supersonic flight segment, and are experienced all along the route as a Boom as the shock waves arrives.
Not sure if that is what you meant because it was ambiguous.
If the boom were severe and all over fly-over (Trump) country, we don’t want it. It would be another case of a taking from the many (quality of life in the country) for the benefit of the few. The R&D here is to make the shock wave minimal along the route.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
