NASA’s X-59 lights up the night sky with its unique Mach diamonds, also known as shock diamonds, during maximum afterburner testing at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California. The test demonstrates the engine’s ability to generate the thrust required for supersonic flight, advancing NASA’s Quesst mission.
Lockheed Martin Corporation/Gary Tice
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft took another successful step toward flight with the conclusion of a series of engine performance tests. During maximum afterburner testing, a test demonstrating the engine’s ability to generate the thrust required for supersonic flight, the aircraft showed off a phenomenon known as Mach diamonds, seen in this image from Jan. 22, 2025. Mach diamonds, or shock diamonds, appear in the exhaust of supersonic aircraft like the X-59.
The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to solve one of the major barriers to commercial supersonic flight over land by making sonic booms quieter.
Image credit: Lockheed Martin/Gary Tice
在加利福尼亚州帕姆代尔的洛克希德·马丁公司臭鼬工厂进行的最大加力燃烧测试中，NASA的X-59超音速研究飞机在夜空中展现了其独特的马赫钻石（Mach diamonds），又称激波钻石（shock diamonds）。此次测试验证了X-59发动机在超音速飞行所需推力下的性能，推动了NASA Quesst任务的进展。
影像来源: Lockheed Martin/Gary Tice
NASA的X-59静音超音速研究飞机 在一系列发动机性能测试顺利完成后，又向首飞迈出了重要一步。在最大加力燃烧测试期间，该飞机成功展示了马赫钻石现象，如2025年1月22日的这张图像所示。马赫钻石是一种出现在超音速飞机尾流中的现象，如X-59这样的超音速飞机发动机排气中常能看到这种图案。
作为NASA Quesst任务的核心，X-59旨在解决陆地超音速商业航班的主要障碍之一——降低音爆噪音，使超音速飞行更加可行。
影像来源: Lockheed Martin/Gary Tice
