NASA’s soundless supersonic aircraft

Question: Which of the following is a NASA’s soundless supersonic passenger aircraft?
(a) X Plane
(b) Bell X-2
(c) Delta 2
(d) BAC-221
Answer: (a) 
Related Facts: 

  • In April 2018, the American Space Agency ‘NASA’ entered into an agreement to create an unmanned supersonic passenger aircraft.
  • The X-plane’s mission is to provide crucial data that could enable commercial supersonic passenger air travel over land.
  • NASA has awarded a USD 247.5 million contract to US-based Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company to build the X-plane and deliver it to the agency by the end of 2021.
  • The X-plane’s configuration will be based on a preliminary design developed by Lockheed Martin under a contract awarded in 2016.
  • The proposed aircraft will be 94 feet long with a wingspan of 29.5 feet and have a fully-fuelled takeoff weight of 32,300 pounds.
  • The X-plane’s configuration will be based on a preliminary design developed by Lockheed Martin under a contract awarded in 2016.
  • The proposed aircraft will be 94 feet long with a wingspan of 29.5 feet and have a fully-fuelled takeoff weight of 32,300 pounds.
  • The design research speed of the X-plane at a cruising altitude of 55,000 feet is 1,512 kilometers per hour. Its top speed will be 1,593 kilometers per hour.
  • A single pilot will be in the cockpit, which will be based on the design of the rear cockpit seat of the T-38 training jet famously used for years by NASA’s astronauts to stay proficient in high-performance aircraft.
  • Jim Less is one of the two primary NASA pilots who will fly the X-plane after Lockheed Martin/s pilots have completed initial test flights to make sure the design is safe to fly.

Reference:                         
https://www.space.com/40187-lockheed-martin-building-quiet-supersonic-jet.html
http://ddinews.gov.in/sci-tech/nasa-set-build-quiet-supersonic-planes