Bringing Back Supersonic Flight

Currently, flying faster than the speed of sound over land is prohibited for commercial flights because it creates disruptive sonic booms. NASA's experimental X-59 plane will research how to turn those booms into "sonic thumps," about as loud as a slamming car door. Lead pilot Nils Larson explains how the X-59 could usher in the next era of commercial supersonic flight.

You can listen to Bringing Back Supersonic Flight online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Bringing Back Supersonic Flight is an episode from Small Steps, Giant Leaps by Katie Konans.

This episode is 25:59 long.

This episode was published on Jan 21, 2026.

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