A quieter ‘boom’? Groundbreaking NASA photos capture supersonic waves colliding mid-flight

NASA spent the past decade developing the new technology, which was recently used to photograph two T-38s from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The T-38s were flying in formation, approximately 30 feet apart, at supersonic speeds. Data gathered using the new tech is moving NASA closer to one day producing the unthinkable -- supersonic aircraft that produce a "quiet rumble" instead of an ear-shattering boom when breaking the sound barrier.

"We're seeing a level of physical detail here that I don't think anybody has ever seen before," said Dan Banks, senior research engineer at NASA Armstrong. "Just looking at the data for the first time, I think things worked out better than we'd imagined. This is a very big step."

According to a press release from the space agency, the images were captured from a NASA B-200 King Air. The upgraded system included the addition of a camera able to capture data with a wider field of view. The system also included a memory upgrade for the cameras, permitting researchers to increase the frame rate to 1400 frames per second, making it easier to capture a larger number of samples. 

Armed with the new data, NASA is planning future flights at higher altitudes as it moves toward achieving what may be a landmark achievement in aviation.

NASA will continue to analyze the date with future flights potentially taking place at higher altitudes. Those flights may take NASA a step closer toward a major milestone in aviation.