Up to Speed: February
On February 10, 2025, XB-1 once again flew faster than the speed of sound, collecting key data on civil supersonic flight. Reaching new heights at 36,514 feet, Boom Chief Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg took XB-1 to a top speed of Mach 1.18 (671 KTAS, or 772 mph).
The mission of XB-1’s second supersonic flight was to continue to assess aircraft performance and data collection above Mach 1, including capturing acoustic sonic boom data and specialized photography known as Schlieren images—read on below to learn more and see the iconic image.
During the 41-minute flight, the aircraft broke the sound barrier three times—all without creating sonic booms that could be heard on the ground.
XB-1’s second supersonic flight marks the conclusion of its groundbreaking flight test program. XB-1 will now return to her birthplace in Denver, Colorado, as Boom now focuses its full efforts on scaling XB-1 learnings and technology to build the Overture supersonic airliner.
Follow the link below to view a replay of the livestream, hosted by Founder and CEO Blake Scholl and Chief Flight Test Engineer Nick Sheryka.
Supersonic Without the Boom: Introducing Boomless Cruise
During its historic first supersonic flight on January 28, 2025, Boom’s demonstrator aircraft, XB-1, broke the sound barrier three times without generating a sonic boom that reached the ground. This data shows that supersonic flight without an audible boom is possible—opening the door to supersonic travel over land onboard Boom’s supersonic airliner, Overture.
“This confirms what we’ve long believed: supersonic travel can be affordable, sustainable, and friendly to those onboard and on the ground. With this success, we’re bringing Boomless Cruise to Overture, unlocking faster travel on even more routes,” said Blake Scholl, Founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic.
Boomless Cruise is based on well-established physics known as Mach cutoff, in which a sonic boom refracts in the atmosphere and never reaches the ground. XB-1’s second supersonic flight demonstrated this capability during three additional supersonic runs. In total, XB-1 broke the sound barrier six times, all without making an audible boom.
NASA Partners with Boom to Make the Invisible Visible
During XB-1’s second supersonic flight, NASA teams on the ground used Schlieren photography, a technique to visualize the shock waves resulting from XB-1 pushing through the air at supersonic speeds.
Taking Schlieren images requires ideal conditions and timing, and exceptional flying by the pilot. Boom Chief Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg positioned XB-1 at an exact time in a precise location over the Mojave Desert to enable NASA to photograph XB-1 flying in front of the sun, documenting the changing air density around the aircraft at speeds exceeding Mach 1.
Using waypoints computed by NASA, the XB-1 team rapidly developed avionics software to guide the pilot to the specific points in space that XB-1 would have to fly through in order to eclipse the sun. To capture the imagery, NASA used ground telescopes with special filters that detect air distortions, such as shock waves, around the supersonic aircraft.
NASA teams also collected data on XB-1’s acoustic signature at one location on the flight route. Boom analysis found that no audible sonic boom reached the ground as the jet flew at supersonic speeds.
Featured News
Fast Company: A new airplane silently broke the sound barrier. It looks nothing like NASA’s X-59
Fox News: Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl discusses his company and ‘Boomless Cruise’ supersonic flight
Flying Magazine: This Company Is Taking the ‘Boom’ Out of Supersonic Flight
CNN: Incredible NASA photo captures sound barrier being broken
