The supersonic jetliner would travel at Mach 4, four times faster than the speed of sound.
The plane's unique shape also would theoretically allow supersonic shockwaves to be spread out, preventing the familiar sonic boom from occurring on the ground when the aircraft breaks the sound barrier.
NASA said it has been conducting studies on about 50 commercial routes to gather data on how humans respond to the sound generated during supersonic flights. Because the federal government banned all civilian supersonic flights over land 50 years ago, the studies examined transoceanic travel. "Those resulting roadmaps helped guide NASA research efforts since, including those leading to the X-59," Ozoroski said in a statement to ABC News. "These new studies will both refresh those looks at technology roadmaps and identify additional research needs for a broader high-speed range.
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