Nasa plans supersonic jet with less noise, Lockheed wins $247.5 million contract

Dallas: Lockheed Martin Corp. won a $247.5 million Nasa contract to build a quieter supersonic jet, a step toward developing planes that can whisk passengers around the globe much more quickly.

The experimental aircraft is expected to take to the skies in 2021 and will have a top velocity of 1.5 times the speed of sound, or about 990 miles per hour (1,600 kilometers) at an altitude of 55,000 feet, Lockheed said Tuesday. While the jet will only have room for a pilot, it will test design principles that soften the sonic boom.

The plane “joins the annals of other historic X-planes in history that have pushed back the frontiers of aviation technology, science, innovation,” David Richardson, a director at Lockheed’s Skunk Works unit, said at a press conference with Nasa in Washington.

The partners are seeking to foster technology that can overcome noise restrictions on supersonic flight, which has been banned overland for civil aircraft since 1973. Once tested for safety, the plane will be ready to fly over select communities to get feedback on the impact. The ultimate goal: opening the skies to faster jet travel and spurring manufacturers to build speedier aircraft.

Lockheed, the world’s largest defence contractor, rose less than 1% to $333.79 at 12:58 pm in New York. The shares advanced 3.7% this year through Monday, compared with a 6% gain for a Standard & Poor’s index of aerospace and defence companies.