NASA’s quiet supersonic jet forced to cut flight short
NASA 的靜音超音速噴射機被迫縮短飛行任務
NASA's X-59, the groundbreaking experimental aircraft nicknamed "Quesst," recently reached a new milestone.
美國航空暨太空總署（NASA）的X-59是一款具備開創性（ㄎㄞㄎㄨㄞˋㄔㄨㄤˋㄒㄧㄥˋ）的實驗飛機，綽號為「Quesst」，最近達成了一項新的里程碑。
On March 20, 2026, it completed its second test flight after taking off from Edwards Air Force Base.
於2026年3月20日，它在愛德華空軍基地起飛後，完成了第二次試飛。
While the flight was planned to last an hour, a cockpit warning forced pilot Jim "Clue" Less to cut the mission short at just nine minutes.
儘管原訂飛行時間為一小時，但駕駛艙發出的警告迫使飛行員Jim "Clue" Less在短短九分鐘後即提前結束任務。
The X-59 is designed to change aviation history by replacing the loud, disruptive "sonic boom" of traditional supersonic jets with a subtle "thump."
X-59的設計旨在透過以細微的「砰」聲（ㄊㄨㄥˋ）取代傳統超音速噴射機那巨大且擾人的「音爆」（ㄧㄣㄅㄠˋ），進而改寫航空史。
Its unique, elongated design disperses shockwaves, potentially allowing supersonic travel over land for the first time.
其獨特且細長的機身設計能分散衝擊波，有望使人類首次實現陸地上空的超音速旅行。
Because of its long nose, the plane lacks a traditional windscreen, relying instead on an "eXternal Vision System" of cameras.
由於機鼻過長，該機缺乏傳統擋風玻璃，而是依賴一套攝影機組成的「外部視覺系統」（eXternal Vision System）。
Developed with Lockheed Martin, the X-59 is part of an "envelope expansion" program where technicians incrementally test performance.
X-59與洛克希德馬丁（Lockheed Martin）共同開發，是「包絡線擴展」（envelope expansion）計畫的一環，技術人員會在該計畫中逐步測試其性能。
While currently back in the hangar for inspection, the mission remains a cornerstone of NASA's goal to make long-distance travel, such as New York to Los Angeles, take under three hours.
目前飛機已回廠進行檢查，但該任務仍是NASA實現縮短長途旅行（例如紐約到洛杉磯）時間至三小時內的核心目標。
