Mind-blowing NASA photo captures the sound barrier being broken by the Boom Supersonic XB-1

NASA has captured the landmark moment that the Boom Supersonic XB-1 jet broke the sound barrier and created a sonic boom.

The American company Boom Supersonic is pushing its prototypes to the limit in a bid to achieve speeds quicker than sound itself.

Its XB-1 plane has now done just that.

And NASA’s cameras picked up something truly astonishing.

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NASA captures incredible moment Boom Supersonic XB-1 breaks sonic boom

The Boom Supersonic XB-1 is a prototype that is intended to break the speed of sound barrier on a frequent occasion and serve as a test for the bigger commercial airplane that will come down the line.

It took to the air for the first time in 2024 and has since been filmed reaching incredible speeds over the Mojave Desert.

As of February 2024, the XB-1 has now achieved supersonic speed, breaking the speed barrier at over 700mph.

They did it in style too, achieving a ‘silent’ sonic boom by reaching a ‘Mach cutoff’ which meant that the sound waves never reached the floor.

Now, NASA has released an image which shows the Boom Supersonic XB-1 piercing the sound barrier and dragging the waves through the air.

This never-seen-before imagery was captured by telescopes that detect air distortions.

It was captured the moment the XB-1 flew in front of the sun.

“This image makes the invisible visible,” Boom CEO Black Scholl said.

“XB-1 made no audible sonic boom, which paves the way for coast to coast flights up to 50 percent faster.”

Usually, breaking the speed of sound barrier creates a visible cloud of water vapor that creates earth-shattering sounds – or a ‘sonic boom’ – but this NASA imagery shows just how the air ripples with an object reaching such speeds.

Why is Boom Supersonic pushing the sound barrier?

All of this is in a bid to have the Boom Supersonic Overture passenger carrier ready for official flights in 2030, becoming the first supersonic aircraft in rotation since the Concorde was retired in 2003.

The Concorde was retired after an incident where the plane was at fault, and any other examples of supersonic aircraft have avoided commercialization ever since.

However, even the lead Concorde pilot, Mike Bannister, claimed the Overture was the ‘rightful successor’ and praised the incredible technology inside the aircraft.

Boom Supersonic claims that the Overture will sit 64-80 people and will be the fastest commercial plane in the world.

Its latest round of XB-1 testing is just the start though, as the prototype sits at just one-third of the size of the Overture.

Still, its incredible technology to see in action.

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