A special image, known as a schlieren image, taken during the Boom Supersonic XB-1 test flight on February 10, 2025. (Image credit: NASA/Boom Supersonic)
NASA and Boom Supersonic just released a stunning photo that captured the shock wave emanating from the dark silhouette of the XB-1 supersonic jet as it passed in front of the sun during a test flight on February 10 that saw it break the sound barrier three times.
“This image makes the invisible visible – the first U.S. civilian supersonic aircraft to break the sound barrier,” said Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl.
The photo was no accident. It took perfect conditions and perfect timing. Chief Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg navigated his way to the right spot over the Mojave Desert while NASA took the picture.
“Thanks to Geppetto's remarkable flights and our collaboration with NASA, we were able to capture this iconic image,” added Scholl.
This image is a schlieren image. Developed in 1864 by German physicist August Toepler to study supersonic flows, schlieren photography is used in modern aviation technology. The technique allows us to see how light bends around differences in air pressure during supersonic flight.
The XB-1 team developed software using NASA data to guide the pilot along a path that would allow the plane to eclipse the sun. Once the XB-1 was in position, NASA took a picture using ground-based telescopes with special filters that capture distortions in the air. This explains why the photo shows shock waves around the plane.
The Boom Supersonic XB-1 jet is the first civilian aircraft to achieve supersonic flight over the continental United States.
NASA also collected acoustic data from the test flight. Boom Supersonic analyzed this data and found that no audible sonic boom reached the ground. This is notable because supersonic flights that create sonic booms over populated areas in the United States are prohibited.
Boom Supersonic plans to develop a supersonic aircraft with a sonic boom that won’t disturb people on the ground. The aircraft would dramatically reduce cross-country flight times. “We confirmed that the XB-1 did not produce an audible sonic boom,” Scholl said in a statement, “opening the door to coast-to-coast flights 50 percent faster.”
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