Supercomputer model showing an X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology airplane concept during supersonic flight. The red areas on the aircraft show higher surface pressure whilst the blue areas show lower surface pressure. Surrounding the aircraft, airflow is seen with areas of higher velocities in red and blue indicating zero velocity. Engineers are designing the X-59 to travel faster than the speed of light without producing sonic booms that can be heard from the ground. Instead, they aim to design the X-59 to only cause sonic thumps or no noise. NASA and Lockheed Martin are conducting this research as part of the Commercial Supersonic Technology project. This project aims to remove the technical barriers for commercial supersonic flight.