Revamped Identity, Unwavering Supersonic Vision

Presenting Quesst.

Capturing the experimental essence of flight testing and the essence of aeronautical exploration, Quesst is what NASA refers to as its initiative to facilitate supersonic air travel over land. This new title – featuring an additional “s” to symbolize “supersonic” – is inspired by NASA’s extensive history of supersonic flight research.

The mission’s focal point is the sleek research aircraft identified as the X-59, which Lockheed Martin Skunk Works is currently constructing in Palmdale, California.

Quesst supersedes the mission’s previous designation: the Low-Boom Flight Demonstration.

Peter Coen

NASA’s mission integration manager for Quesst

Through Quesst, NASA aims to demonstrate that the X-59 can operate faster than sound without producing the disruptive sonic booms typically associated with supersonic aircraft. This thunderous noise has been the primary reason the U.S. and other nations have prohibited most supersonic flights over land.

Collaborating with selected communities, NASA will operate the X-59 to understand how individuals respond to the reduced sonic “thump” it generates – if they detect any sound at all. The agency will provide survey results to policymakers, hoping they will contemplate new regulations to lift the restriction.

With the launch of Quesst comes a fresh mission identity — a blue and green logo that embodies the elements of Quesst.

The inspiration for the design stems from visuals captured during NASA’s 2019 Air-to-Air Background Oriented Schlieren (AirBOS) flight series, which documented images of intersecting shockwaves from supersonic aircraft.

The new mission emblem illustrates stylized supersonic shockwaves encircling the research plane, positioned above a community of residences. The imagery emphasizes the pioneering research that will be conducted in various U.S. cities throughout this mission.

Here’s a summary of the design and its color scheme:

• The supersonic shockwaves, depicted here in green, do not merge. This characteristic allows the X-59 to create a quieter sonic thump.
• The aircraft silhouette symbolizes the X-59. Previously referred to as the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology, the aircraft will now simply be known as the X-59.
• The three houses represent the communities that will supply data that could facilitate future commercial supersonic flights over land.
• The crescent signifies land, highlighting the crucial and distinct aspect of our mission – commercial supersonic travel over land.
• Overall, the blue and green embody the Earth, reflecting where the benefits of NASA’s aeronautics research are felt by humanity each day.

In order to achieve its mission objectives, NASA has outlined Quesst in three stages. The first and current stage centers on assembling the X-59, with initial flights anticipated for later this year to validate the safety and performance of the aircraft.

The second stage, anticipated for 2023, will concentrate on acoustic validation. During this phase, the mission will verify that the X-59 is ready for routine operations within the National Airspace System. The aircraft will operate over NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, to demonstrate that the supersonic technologies function as intended. The flights will also confirm that the instruments used to forecast and evaluate the sound level of the sonic thump are prepared for application in the third phase.

Likely the most awaited segment of the mission, phase three will involve the X-59 flying over various communities in the U.S., gathering feedback from the populace to gauge their opinions regarding the X-59’s sound. This phase is projected to occur between 2024 and 2026. NASA has not yet identified the communities.

The mission is scheduled to conclude in 2027 by compiling the data collected during phase three and sharing it with U.S. and international authorities. With the information obtained during the Quesst mission, the objective is to empower regulators to consider rules based on the noise level of an aircraft, instead of relying on an arbitrary speed.

“The Quesst mission has the potential to transform air travel as we know it,” Coen stated. “The success of this mission will pave the way for rapid air travel for everyone around the world.”

Discover more about the advancements in this revolutionary mission.

Quesst — the initiative where speed has never sounded so serene.