London - Nasa has unveiled plans for a new ‘Son of Concorde’ supersonic passenger plane.
The US Space Agency said it had developed a technique for reducing the sonic boom – the ear-splittingly loud shockwave triggered when planes go faster than the speed of sound.
Nasa has already awarded a contract for the preliminary design of a “low boom” supersonic demonstration aircraft, officials said. If successful, the test aircraft could lead to a return to the age of supersonic flight – which stopped for civilians when the Anglo-French Concorde stopped flying in 2003.
Charles Bolden, a Nasa administrator, said: “Nasa is working hard to make flight greener, safer and quieter – all while developing aircraft that travel faster, and building an aviation system that operates more efficiently.”
Nasa selected a team led by Lockheed Martin to complete a preliminary design for Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST).
Lockheed Martin will receive about $20-million over 17 months for QueSST preliminary design work.
In the past, supersonic aircraft have been forbidden for flying over built up areas in the US and Europe – severely limiting their speed advantages.
Daily Mail