{"id":385874,"date":"2026-03-13T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-431787"},"modified":"2026-03-13T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T22:00:00","slug":"about-low-boom-flight-demonstrator-lbfd-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=385874","title":{"rendered":"About Low Boom Flight Demonstrator (LBFD) Project"},"content":{"rendered":"
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2 min read<\/p>\n

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\"NASA\u2019s<\/a><\/figure>
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NASA\u2019s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft cruises above Palmdale and Edwards, California, during its first flight, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. The aircraft traveled to NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Lori Losey<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Low Boom Flight Demonstrator project (LBFD) is part of NASA’s effort to help enable new\u00a0aircraft\u00a0noise standards that are\u00a0required\u00a0to open the market to commercial supersonic flight over land. <\/p>\n

The federal government banned all civilian supersonic flights over land more than fifty years ago due to sonic boom noise. If new standards are\u00a0established, the U.S. aviation industry can position itself to lead the commercial supersonic market, and passengers will\u00a0benefit\u00a0from significantly shorter travel times. <\/p>\n

Over the past decade, fundamental research and experimentation have\u00a0demonstrated\u00a0the possibility of supersonic flight with\u00a0greatly reduced\u00a0sonic boom noise – one of several key areas needed to transform commercial supersonic flight.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"NASA\u2019s<\/a><\/figure>
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NASA\u2019s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits on a ramp at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, during sunset. The one-of-a-kind aircraft is powered by a General Electric F414 engine, a variant of the engines used on F\/A-18 fighter jets. The engine is mounted above the fuselage to reduce the number of shockwaves that reach the ground. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight and enable future commercial travel over land \u2013 faster than the speed of sound.<\/div>\n
Lockheed Martin Corporation\/Garr<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The LBFD project will\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0a reduced sonic boom by\u00a0utilizing\u00a0a purpose-built experimental\u00a0aircraft\u00a0designated\u00a0the X-59. <\/p>\n

The LBFD project supports a multi-phase effort aimed at\u00a0demonstrating\u00a0the X-59\u2019s ability to fly supersonic without generating loud sonic booms. The LBFD project leads Phase 1 of the\u00a0Quesst\u00a0mission, involving the design, fabrication, ground tests, and checkout flights of the X-59. <\/p>\n

After ensuring the\u00a0aircraft\u00a0is safe and performing as expected, the LBFD project will support the rest of the mission team during Phase 2 to prove the\u00a0aircraft\u00a0is producing a quiet sound to people on the ground and is safe for operations in the National Airspace System. <\/p>\n

At the conclusion of Phase 2, the X-59\u00a0aircraft\u00a0will transfer to the Integrated Aviation Systems Program’s Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities project.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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