NASA focuses on X-59 supersonic test plane at EAA Oshkosh 2024

It’s that time of year again where the aviation world descends onto the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the annual EAA AirVenture fly-in convention. It is also our yearly reminder that the second letter of NASA stands for “Aeronautics,” as they will have a pretty serious presence this year surrounding their X-59 supersonic test plane.

We’ll be here providing coverage of all things NASA, spaceflight, and maybe a little bit of aviation news this week while we’re at AirVenture.

NASA will host a frenzy of aviation and spaceflight centered forums this week, multiple of them will focus on the X-59. We’ll hear from both high level leaders in NASA’s aeronautics devision as well as the man that will be behind the stick of the X-59, NASA test pilot Nils Larson.

The X-59 is an experimental supersonic aircraft designed to reduce the noise of sonic booms down to a minimal “thump.” Outside of military aircraft, supersonic flight has been banned in airspace over the United States since 1973, due to the public annoyance of the booms. The X-59 hopes to bring supersonic travel back over the US with a series of fly overs of communities to test how much quieter it is over traditional jets.

Nowadays, the only way to experience a sonic boom would be during the landing of SpaceX Falcon 9 boosters at LZ 1, 2, and 4, landing of the Air Forces X-37B spaceplane at the Cape, or join the military and find yourself at the right place and right time. Or get a time machine and go back to AirVenture’s 2021 air show where an F-16 pilot misjudged his speed and buzzed the crowd fast enough to cause a sonic boom.

NASA “Space” at EAA

Artemis will make an appearance at EAA, because how can you not?

During a Friday night session, NASA will discuss the upcoming Artemis II mission with representatives from across the Artemis programs, including NASA Astronaut Randy Bresnik.

At the agency’s tent, a model of the SLS rocket and other NASA spacecraft will been on display, along with STEM and meet and greets with those working to make the nation’s space program become a reality.

Outreach is a pretty important part of NASA’s mission. Keeping the public educated and engaged means they are invested in making the programs happen. The hope being they either join the workforce of talented engineers to get their hands dirty putting Americans back on the Moon, or get involved advocating for increased budgets to their representatives in Washington DC when the next year’s budget request comes out.

Expect plenty of coverage about NASA’s future endeavors here at AirVenture, it’s bound to be an exciting week.

Oh did I forget to mention that the only two flying B-29s are here? Yeah, seeing those fly together is going to be a spectacular thing.