Ars Technica reports, “More than two decades since the Concorde supersonic airliner last took to the skies, NASA has been flying an experimental aircraft designed to replace loud sonic booms with a quieter thump equivalent to a car door slamming shut 20 feet away.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
Tag: Supersonic Flight
NASA’s X-59 Prepares for First Supersonic Flight This Month
SPACE reports, “NASA’s X-59 jet is on the verge of finally breaking the sound barrier as the agency looks forward to the aircraft’s first supersonic flight this month.”
Full Story (SPACE)
FAA Clears Hermeus Quarterhorse for Supersonic Flight Testing
Aerotime reports, “Hermeus announced on March 12, 2026, that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category (SAC-EC) for its unmanned Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 aircraft. The certification clears the way for Hermeus to proceed with flight testing as it works toward achieving supersonic flight. According to the company, the process involved a rigorous inspection by FAA agents, who assessed the aircraft ahead of its planned flight-test campaign.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
U.S. House Advances Legislation to Lift Ban on Supersonic Travel Over Land
Aerotime reports, “The US House of Representatives passed legislation aimed at opening the skies to civil supersonic flight over land, a step supporters say could usher in a new era of air travel in the United States. The bill would require the FAA to revise its rules within a year to allow civil aircraft to fly faster than Mach 1 over land without special authorization, provided no sonic boom reaches the ground. The measure, H.R. 3410, targets a long-standing FAA ban dating to 1973, when regulators barred overland civil supersonic flight because of noise concerns tied to sonic booms.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Supersonic Flight Has Potential to Reshape the NFL
Flying Magazine reports, “In December, Congress is expected to review legislation that would end the FAA’s 52-year restriction on commercial supersonic flight over land. A reversal of the ban could have big implications for America’s most watched professional sports league. This month, the Wall Street Journal reported that the supersonic test campaign of Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 demonstrator was “of particular interest” to the leadership of the NFL. The league has quietly kept a “close eye” on the progress of Boom and other supersonic developers for years, sources said.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
NASA Chief Says X-59 Will Still Play Key Role in Return to Supersonic Flight
Aviation Week reports, “The X-59 low boom demonstrator remains highly relevant, says NASA’s acting administrator. Although running years behind its original schedule, the NASA aircraft is still expected to play a key role in helping ICAO and the FAA develop a noise certification standard for sonic booms that could clear the way for legal overland civil fight at higher supersonic speeds.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Trump Orders FAA to Repeal Ban on Overland Supersonic Flight
Flying Magazine reports, “President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order instructing the FAA to repeal its ban on supersonic flight over U.S. land. The order said that, with advances in noise-reduction technology, supersonic flight is ‘not just possible, but safe, sustainable, and commercially viable.’ New noise standards will be developed that weigh ‘community acceptability, economic reasonableness, and technological feasibility,’ the White House added.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Boom’s XB-1 Achieves Supersonic Flight Milestone
Aviation Week reports, “High-speed airliner developer Boom took a major leap toward the development of its Mach 1.7 Overture transport with the successful supersonic flight of its XB-1 demonstrator, the first independently developed faster-than-sound aircraft. The XB-1, flown by Boom Chief Test Pilot Tristan ‘Geppetto’ Brandenburg, exceeded Mach 1 on three separate occasions during its 12th test flight on Jan. 28, hitting a top speed of Mach 1.12 at around 11 min. 30 sec. into the flight. The aircraft accelerated through the transonic regime while flying at 34,000 ft. in the Mojave Desert’s Black Mountain supersonic corridor within the area’s restricted R-2508 test airspace complex.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
More Info (AIAA Statement)
Boom Supersonic to Livestream XB-1 Test Flight at 10:45 AM
SPACE reports, “Boom Supersonic plans to break the sound barrier during a test flight this morning (Jan. 28). This would mark the first time the company achieves the feat, and you can watch the historic action live. Colorado-based Boom’s XB-1 test vehicle is scheduled to lift off on its 12th test flight from California’s Mojave Air & Space Port today at around 11:00 a.m. EST (1600 GMT; 8 a.m. local California time). If all goes well, the piloted demonstrator craft will exceed Mach 1 — the speed of sound — about 25 minutes later. Boom will webcast the mission live via its website beginning at 10:45 a.m. EST (1545 GMT).”
Watch Live (Boom Supersonic)
Full Story (SPACE)
AIAA Statement on Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 Demonstrator Flight
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) CEO Clay Mowry made the following statement:
“Wow! Congratulations to Boom Supersonic on breaking the sound barrier with XB-1! On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we applaud the entire team on this engineering feat pushing the boundaries of flight. We salute all the industry professionals who are involved in the XB-1 program – you are shaping the future of aerospace.”
Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell
About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.