NASA reviving supersonic travel. Is this a new concorde?

Jetsetters longing for a return to supersonic travel might soon be in luck. The U.S. space agency NASA is pushing for a new passenger jet that looks set to fill the void left by Concorde.

NASA has awarded a $20 million contract to California-based Lockheed Martin for the design of what it calls a “low boom” flight demonstration aircraft.

Nasa Concorde 1

“NASA is working hard to make flight greener, safer and quieter – all while developing aircraft that travel faster, and building an aviation system that operates more efficiently,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden in a statement released Monday.

Nasa Concorde 2

“We’re continuing that supersonic X-plane legacy with this preliminary design award for a quieter supersonic jet with an aim toward passenger flight,” the statement read.

The Lockheed Martin contract is to design a ‘low-boom’ passenger aircraft that would emit a soft thump rather than huge bang.

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