Cosmos Editorial
As air traffic continues to surge, people who live near airports are complaining about the escalating noise. At the same time, the demand for faster aircraft that travel at supersonic speeds is accelerating.
To address the expected noise levels of future aircraft, the scientists and engineers of NASA’s Commercial Supersonic Technology project are developing technologies focused on cutting down the noise produced by an aircraft’s engine exhaust.
In the image above, a small-scale model of a Learjet engine exhaust system is being tested in the Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory (AAPL) at the Glenn Research Centre in Cleveland.
The blue, curved array at the top of the AAPL dome held microphones for making the noise measurements and simulating a flyover. The large door to the right was opened to exhaust the air from the jet during tests.
