Fri, Apr 19, 2024
XB-1 Now has a Date with the Black Mountain Supersonic Corridor
Boom Supersonic got the first instance of Special Flight Authorization to go supersonic, planning to push their XB-1 aircraft beyond the sound barrier. The FAA granted the authorization for them to test fly at Mach 1+ in the R-2508 Complex and part of the R-2515 High Altitude Supersonic Corridor. The FAA says that it completed a thorough review and Environmental Assessment, paving the way for future supersonic flight testing in the commercial sphere. The testing will see the XB-1 push the limited with a T-38 chase plane tagging along, monitoring, recording, and adding some extra safety of flight assurance. Naturally, the authorization extends to the chase plane, too.
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Thu, Apr 18, 2024
Model Finds Home in Kids' Museum
Northrop Grumman has handed over ownership of a full scale model of the NASA James Webb Space Telescope, granting it to the Space Foundation for display in their museum in Colorado. The model once graced skylines across the country for a time, garnering interest as it displayed the unusual multi-sail protective sheeting and convex lens. The model helped to raise awareness of the next-gen telescope program, but now it can head on to rest at the Space Foundation Discovery Center in Colorado Springs. "From New York to Paris, this life-size replica of the Webb Telescope inspired communities around the world and, in doing so, invited friends and families to explore the cosmos together to better understand the origins of the universe," said Chris Adams, vice president and general manager, strategic space systems, Northrop Grumman.
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