See The Boom XB-1 Rip Through The Air As It Breaks The Sound Barrier

Boom Supersonic broke the sound barrier in late January with its XB-1 test jet, paving the way forward in the startup's efforts to build its own supersonic airliner. Boom and NASA released a unique image from the test flight over the Mojave Desert on Monday. The photograph visualizes the flow of air around the XB-1 as it flew faster than the speed of sound, allowing the public to see an aircraft break the sound barrier.

The image captured by NASA shows the silhouette of Boom's demonstrator streaking across the sky, except the atmosphere is rendered in a vivid shade of orange and the jet's exhaust is a pale yellow trail. It's an example of Schlieren photography, a technique that uses refraction to visualize the shifting density of air as an object moves through it. You can see the XB-1 pushing its way through the air with streaks flaring away from the plane.

Schlieren is the German word for streaks. The photo is a tangible reminder that we're breathing a fluid because both liquids and gases are fluids. Boom CEO Blake Scholl said in a release:

"This image makes the invisible visible—the first American made civil supersonic jet breaking the sound barrier. Thanks to Geppetto's exceptional flying and our partnership with NASA, we were able to capture this iconic image. We also confirmed that XB-1 made no audible sonic boom, which paves the way for coast to coast flights up to 50% faster."

While the photo is a visually stimulating product of the test flight, the most significant development was Boom's announcement of "Boomless Cruise." It was independently confirmed that none of the sonic booms created by the XB-1 reached the ground. The aerospace startup is confident that its Mach cutoff technique can be carried over to its full-scale Overture airline. If that is the case, Boom could convince the FAA to lift its restrictions on overland supersonic flights.

Airlines have been promised a supersonic future before. During the 1960s, the country's major carriers eagerly awaited the arrival of a faster-than-sound commercial jet subsidized by the federal government. Pan-Am and TWA placed at least a dozen orders for the Boeing 2707 while it was still in development.

Miami-Dade County even had plans for a bespoke supersonic airport in the middle of the Everglades. Everglades Jetport was envisioned as an intercontinental hub that would make Miami a truly global stop in the same way that Emirates has elevated the status of Dubai. However, the FAA ban and the subsequent collapse of the Boeing 2707 derailed those plans. Only one of the six runways were built before the project was halted.

The lone runway eventually became a training airport for airline pilots and occasional a lengthy dragstrip. In the 2010, the county wanted to revive the facility as the site for a trade airshow but it never came to fruition. A revival of supersonic flights won't bring back the Everglades Jetport either because it's remote location was intended to keep sonic booms away from the public, a non-issue if "Boomless Cruise" is successful.