NASA Tests Microphone Array for Quiet Supersonic X-59

Juliet Page, a physical scientist with the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, calibrates a microphone station during the CarpetDIEM flight series. The array featured high-fidelity microphones arranged in several configurations, giving researchers the ability to obtain accurate sound data and assess the loudness of the sonic booms, just as they will measure the quiet sonic thumps from the X-59.

Juliet Page, a physical scientist with the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, calibrates a microphone station during the CarpetDIEM flight series. The array featured high-fidelity microphones arranged in several configurations, giving researchers the ability to obtain accurate sound data and assess the loudness of the sonic booms, just as they will measure the quiet sonic thumps from the X-59.

Photographer NASA/Lauren Hughes
Location AFRC
Armstrong Flight Research CenterAFRCNASA VolpeNational Transportation Systems CenterDepartment of TransportationSupersonicQuiet Supersonic TechnologyX-planesX-59X-59 QueSSTFlightVolpeAeronauticsMojaveCaliforniaF-18F A-18LaRCLangley Research CenterVolpeTransporationMicrophonesLow Boom Flight DemonstratorARMDMicrophone ArrayEdwards Air Force BaseCarpetDIEMCommercial Supersonic TechnologyCST Project