NASA set to unveil experimental X-59 aircraft aimed at commercial supersonic travel

NASA's new experimental aircraft will go thump in the night – that's the plan, anyway. The X-59, set to be unveiled in Palmdale, California, on Friday, is designed to turn the volume down on supersonic travel.

"NASA's X-59 is a one-of-a-kind experimental aircraft that will demonstrate the ability to fly supersonic while generating a gentle "sonic thump" rather than the normally loud sonic boom," NASA said in a news release.

The aircraft, a collaboration with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, is the centerpiece of NASA's Quesst mission, with the goal of minimizing cross-country travel time by making supersonic flight over land possible.