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Physics & Chemistry

Here’s Your First Look at the Freshly Painted X-59, NASA’s Quiet Supersonic Plane

NASA and Lockheed Martin showed off the X-59 supersonic plane in Palmdale, California, on Friday.
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Commercial faster-than-sound travel over land doesn’t happen anymore—but in the U.S., it could soon, with the debut of a new experimental plane developed by NASA and Lockheed Martin. The X-59 aircraft is designed to test out sonic boom-less supersonic flight, producing only sonic ‘thumps’ as it speeds through the skies.

You can read all about the aircraft and NASA’s hopes for it here. But we know you want to see the plane, so click through for some early shots from Friday’s unveiling.

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