WASHINGTON — NASA has cleared the final assembly of Lockheed Martin's quiet supersonic jet prototype, the agency says in a news release on Tuesday.<br /><br />Lockheed Martin says that X-59 aircraft will be a model for quiet, faster-than-sound passenger jets.<br /><br />Lockheed Martin states that the X-59 will be able to cruise at an altitude of 55,000 feet and achieve an airspeed of 940 miles per hour.<br /><br />The corporation claims technology derived from the jet will cut air travel time by half.<br /><br />According to NASA, the X-59's shape is specially designed to mitigate sonic boom by reducing the noise that reaches the ground.<br /><br />Lockheed Martin says that the airplane makes 75 Perceived Level decibels, or about as loud as a closing car door.<br /><br />According to NASA, the jet will feature cameras and sensors that allow safe flying without a forward-facing window.<br /><br />NASA says the finished jet will fly over select US communities to create instrument readings and to measure the public's opinion.
