This month, a research program called SonicBAT II (short for Sonic Booms in Atmospheric Turbulence), is set to begin to help understand sonic booms and how to reduce the noise associated with supersonic flight. The program is a partnership between NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, Langley Research Center in Virginia and Space Florida, with the ultimate goal of developing viable passenger aircraft capable of flying at supersonic speeds.
NASA Continues Sonic Boom Research with F-18s
Key Takeaways:
- The SonicBAT II (Sonic Booms in Atmospheric Turbulence) program is launching to research and mitigate sonic booms, with the ultimate goal of enabling future supersonic passenger aircraft capable of flights like New York to Los Angeles in two hours.
- Researchers will use F-18 jets flying at supersonic speeds from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, specifically offshore from Daytona, to study how low-altitude turbulence affects sonic booms.
- Data from these flights will be collected by ground equipment and a motorized glider, leading towards the development of a "Low Boom Flight Demonstrator" designed to produce a soft thump rather than a loud boom.
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