NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center test pilots Jim "Clue" Less (front) and Wayne "Ringo" Ringelberg (back) taxi out in a NASA F/A-18 at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas, in preparation of a training flight for the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 series, or QSF18. The QSF18 flights will provide NASA with feedback necessary to validate community response techniques for future quiet supersonic research flights for the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology, or QueSST.

The Gulf of Mexico as seen from NASA photographer Carla Thomas at high altitude in the F/A-18 research aircraft during a flight in support of the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 series, or QSF18. The high altitude is necessary as part of the quiet supersonic dive maneuver, climbing to around 50,000 feet, followed by a supersonic, inverted dive. This creates sonic boom shockwaves in a way that they are quieter in a specific area.

The Gulf of Mexico as seen from NASA photographer Carla Thomas at high altitude in the F/A-18 research aircraft during a flight in support of the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 series, or QSF18. The high altitude is necessary as part of the quiet supersonic dive maneuver, climbing to around 50,000 feet, followed by a supersonic, inverted dive. This creates sonic boom shockwaves in a way that they are quieter in a specific area.

The Gulf of Mexico as seen from NASA photographer Carla Thomas at high altitude in the F/A-18 research aircraft during a flight in support of the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 series, or QSF18. The high altitude is necessary as part of the quiet supersonic dive maneuver, climbing to around 50,000 feet, followed by a supersonic, inverted dive. This creates sonic boom shockwaves in a way that they are quieter in a specific area.

The Gulf of Mexico as seen from NASA photographer Carla Thomas at high altitude in the F/A-18 research aircraft during a flight in support of the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 series, or QSF18. The high altitude is necessary as part of the quiet supersonic dive maneuver, climbing to around 50,000 feet, followed by a supersonic, inverted dive. This creates sonic boom shockwaves in a way that they are quieter in a specific area.

The Gulf of Mexico as seen from NASA photographer Carla Thomas at high altitude in the F/A-18 research aircraft during a flight in support of the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 series, or QSF18. The high altitude is necessary as part of the quiet supersonic dive maneuver, climbing to around 50,000 feet, followed by a supersonic, inverted dive. This creates sonic boom shockwaves in a way that they are quieter in a specific area.

The Gulf of Mexico as seen from NASA photographer Carla Thomas at high altitude in the F/A-18 research aircraft during a flight in support of the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 series, or QSF18. The high altitude is necessary as part of the quiet supersonic dive maneuver, climbing to around 50,000 feet, followed by a supersonic, inverted dive. This creates sonic boom shockwaves in a way that they are quieter in a specific area.

The Gulf of Mexico as seen from NASA photographer Carla Thomas at high altitude in the F/A-18 research aircraft during a flight in support of the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 series, or QSF18. The high altitude is necessary as part of the quiet supersonic dive maneuver, climbing to around 50,000 feet, followed by a supersonic, inverted dive. This creates sonic boom shockwaves in a way that they are quieter in a specific area.

The Gulf of Mexico as seen from NASA photographer Carla Thomas at high altitude in the F/A-18 research aircraft during a flight in support of the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 series, or QSF18. The high altitude is necessary as part of the quiet supersonic dive maneuver, climbing to around 50,000 feet, followed by a supersonic, inverted dive. This creates sonic boom shockwaves in a way that they are quieter in a specific area.

The Gulf of Mexico as seen from NASA photographer Carla Thomas at high altitude in the F/A-18 research aircraft during a flight in support of the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 series, or QSF18. The high altitude is necessary as part of the quiet supersonic dive maneuver, climbing to around 50,000 feet, followed by a supersonic, inverted dive. This creates sonic boom shockwaves in a way that they are quieter in a specific area.

The Gulf of Mexico as seen from NASA photographer Carla Thomas at high altitude in the F/A-18 research aircraft during a flight in support of the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 series, or QSF18. The high altitude is necessary as part of the quiet supersonic dive maneuver, climbing to around 50,000 feet, followed by a supersonic, inverted dive. This creates sonic boom shockwaves in a way that they are quieter in a specific area.

While the quiet supersonic dive maneuver produces a quieter version of the sonic boom in a necessary area, it produces a loud sonic boom out over the ocean. Doing so over the busiest waterway in the country makes it necessary to provide high levels of situational awareness to vessels below, through communications between NASA public affairs officers and the U.S. Coast Guard command center.

While the quiet supersonic dive maneuver produces a quieter version of the sonic boom in a necessary area, it produces a loud sonic boom out over the ocean. Doing so over the busiest waterway in the country makes it necessary to provide high levels of situational awareness to vessels below, through communications between NASA public affairs officers and the U.S. Coast Guard command center.

While the quiet supersonic dive maneuver produces a quieter version of the sonic boom in a necessary area, it produces a loud sonic boom out over the ocean. Doing so over the busiest waterway in the country makes it necessary to provide high levels of situational awareness to vessels below, through communications between NASA public affairs officers and the U.S. Coast Guard command center.

While the quiet supersonic dive maneuver produces a quieter version of the sonic boom in a necessary area, it produces a loud sonic boom out over the ocean. Doing so over the busiest waterway in the country makes it necessary to provide high levels of situational awareness to vessels below, through communications between NASA public affairs officers and the U.S. Coast Guard command center.

NASA's F/A-18 research aircraft takes off from Ellington Field in Houston, Texas for a quiet supersonic research flight off the coast of Galveston, as part of the QSF18 flight series. The F/A-18 will climb to 50,000 feet over the Gulf of Mexico, where it will perform the quiet supersonic dive maneuver.

While the quiet supersonic dive maneuver produces a quieter version of the sonic boom in a necessary area, it produces a loud sonic boom out over the ocean. Doing so over the busiest waterway in the country makes it necessary to provide high levels of situational awareness to vessels below, through communications between NASA public affairs officers and the U.S. Coast Guard command center.

While the quiet supersonic dive maneuver produces a quieter version of the sonic boom in a necessary area, it produces a loud sonic boom out over the ocean. Doing so over the busiest waterway in the country makes it necessary to provide high levels of situational awareness to vessels below, through communications between NASA public affairs officers and the U.S. Coast Guard command center.

While the quiet supersonic dive maneuver produces a quieter version of the sonic boom in a necessary area, it produces a loud sonic boom out over the ocean. Doing so over the busiest waterway in the country makes it necessary to provide high levels of situational awareness to vessels below, through communications between NASA public affairs officers and the U.S. Coast Guard command center.

While the quiet supersonic dive maneuver produces a quieter version of the sonic boom in a necessary area, it produces a loud sonic boom out over the ocean. Doing so over the busiest waterway in the country makes it necessary to provide high levels of situational awareness to vessels below, through communications between NASA public affairs officers and the U.S. Coast Guard command center.

While the quiet supersonic dive maneuver produces a quieter version of the sonic boom in a necessary area, it produces a loud sonic boom out over the ocean. Doing so over the busiest waterway in the country makes it necessary to provide high levels of situational awareness to vessels below, through communications between NASA public affairs officers and the U.S. Coast Guard command center.

While the quiet supersonic dive maneuver produces a quieter version of the sonic boom in a necessary area, it produces a loud sonic boom out over the ocean. Doing so over the busiest waterway in the country makes it necessary to provide high levels of situational awareness to vessels below, through communications between NASA public affairs officers and the U.S. Coast Guard command center.

Claudia Sales, NASA’s acting X-59 deputy chief engineer and airworthiness certification lead for the quiet supersonic research aircraft, supports ground testing for Acoustic Research Measurements (ARM) flights. The test campaign to evaluate technologies that reduce aircraft noise was conducted at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, in 2018.

NASA deployed two F/A-18 research aircraft from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California to fly the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 campaign, or QSF18. Having more than one aircraft allows pilots to conduct quick turnarounds with different aircrews between flights, fitting in as many targeted research flights as necessary.

NASA deployed two F/A-18 research aircraft from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California to fly the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 campaign, or QSF18. Having more than one aircraft allows pilots to conduct quick turnarounds with different aircrews between flights, fitting in as many targeted research flights as necessary.

NASA deployed two F/A-18 research aircraft from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California to fly the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 campaign, or QSF18. Having more than one aircraft allows pilots to conduct quick turnarounds with different aircrews between flights, fitting in as many targeted research flights as necessary.

NASA deployed two F/A-18 research aircraft from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California to fly the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 campaign, or QSF18. Having more than one aircraft allows pilots to conduct quick turnarounds with different aircrews between flights, fitting in as many targeted research flights as necessary.

NASA deployed two F/A-18 research aircraft from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California to fly the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 campaign, or QSF18. Having more than one aircraft allows pilots to conduct quick turnarounds with different aircrews between flights, fitting in as many targeted research flights as necessary.

NASA deployed two F/A-18 research aircraft from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California to fly the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 campaign, or QSF18. Having more than one aircraft allows pilots to conduct quick turnarounds with different aircrews between flights, fitting in as many targeted research flights as necessary.

Claudia Sales, NASA’s acting X-59 deputy chief engineer and airworthiness certification lead for the quiet supersonic research aircraft, stands in front of a Gulfstream G-III, also known as Subsonic Research Aircraft Testbed (SCRAT). Sales supported ground testing as test conductor for Acoustics Research Measurements (ARM) flights at NASA’s Armstrong Research Flight Center in Edwards, California, in 2018.

After climbing the stairs, NASA pilot Nils Larson sits in a NASA F-15B aircraft and begins preflight procedures.

NASA pilot Nils Larson evaluates software in the X-59 simulator that could predict where sonic booms would be felt on the ground and the intensity.

NASA pilot Nils Larson checks out the NASA F-15B aircraft before he climbs into the cockpit.

The U.S. Air Force F-16D Automatic Collision Avoidance Technology aircraft flew at low levels above the Sierra Nevada Mountains to test the ACAT Fighter Risk Reduction project. The goal was to develop collision avoidance technologies for aircraft to reduce the risk of ground collisions. Such systems on U.S. Air Force aircraft have resulted in saving eight lives and seven aircraft.