NASA Supersonic Research Includes Boom Supersonic

Aug. 25—TRIAD — NASA announced this week a new phase in its research on making supersonic passenger travel feasible, and its partners include Boom Supersonic, the company that wants to build a supersonic airliner at Piedmont Triad International Airport.

Separately, Boom announced Thursday that it has received an experimental airworthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration for its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft, as well as letters of authorization allowing its two test pilots to fly XB-1 for the first time. No date was announced for that flight, which will take place at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California.

NASA recently studied the potential business case for supersonic passenger air travel between Mach 2 and Mach 4, or up to four times the speed of sound (1,535-3,045 mph at sea level). The study concluded potential markets exist that involve about 50 established passenger routes, including high-volume North Atlantic routes and those crossing the Pacific, said Lori Ozoroski, project manager for NASA's Commercial Supersonic Technology Project.

"We conducted similar concept studies over a decade ago at Mach 1.6-1.8, and those resulting roadmaps helped guide NASA research efforts since," she said, including the development of NASA's experimental X-59 aircraft, which aims to find a way to reduce the noise of a sonic boom to tolerable levels.

The U.S. and other nations currently prohibit supersonic flight over land because of the extreme noise of a sonic boom, which is produced when a plane surpasses the speed of sound.

"These new studies will both refresh those looks at technology roadmaps and identify additional research needs for a broader high-speed range," Ozoroski said.

Currently, large airliners cruise at roughly 600 mph, or about 80% of the speed of sound, and plans for the supersonic airliner under development by Colorado-based Boom Supersonic, which is building a factory at PTIA, call for it to fly up to Mach 1.7.

The next phase of NASA's high-speed travel research includes issuing two 12-month contracts to companies to develop conceptual designs and technology roadmaps.

Boeing is leading the first team, with partners Exosonic, GE Aerospace, Georgia Tech Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies and others.

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems leads the second team, with partners Boom Supersonic, Blue Ridge Research and Consulting of Asheville and Rolls-Royce North American Technologies.

Among other things, the teams will create designs for concept vehicles. The designs would be non-proprietary, meaning they would be available to companies not participating in these two teams.

Afterward, NASA and its partners will decide whether to continue the research with their own investments.

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