Aircraft designed by NASA can quietly fly faster than speed of sound (GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
Why in news?
- NASA and Lockheed Martin have unveiled the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft, a groundbreaking experimental plane designed to transform air travel by breaking the sound barrier with a mere sonic "thump" rather than a disruptive boom.
- The debut took place at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, marking a significant leap from concept to reality.
X-59:
- The X-59 is the cornerstone of NASA's Quesst mission, which aims to provide crucial data that could lead to the lifting of current prohibitions on commercial supersonic flight over land.
- For decades, such flights have been banned due to the loud sonic booms they produce, which can cause considerable disturbance on the ground.
- However, the X-59 promises to fly at speeds of 1.4 times the speed of sound, or 925 mph, while producing a sound comparable to a car door closing, due to its innovative design and technology.
Salient features:
- The X-59 stretches 99.7 feet in length and 29.5 feet in width, with a slender, tapered nose that disrupts shock waves, mitigating the traditional sonic boom.
- The cockpit, uniquely positioned amidships, lacks a forward-facing window and instead employs an eXternal Vision System, which relays high-resolution imagery to a 4K monitor, providing pilots with a clear view ahead.
What’s next?
- With the aircraft's rollout complete, the next phase involves integrated systems testing, engine runs, and taxi testing. The first flight is scheduled for later 2024, with subsequent quiet supersonic flights to follow.
- The initial tests will be conducted at Skunk Works before the X-59 moves to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, for further operations.
- Post-flight tests, NASA intends to fly the X-59 over selected US cities to gather public perception data on the quieter sonic signature.
New butterfly species endemic to Western Ghats discovered in Karnataka
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Why in news?
- A new species of silverline butterfly has been identified in the biodiversity hotspots in India’s Western Ghats.
- This unique species, named Cigaritis conjuncta or the “conjoined silverline”, was first spotted in 2008 but came under extensive research in 2021.
Details:
- The discovery was made by a team of scientists from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS-TIFR) in Bengaluru, in collaboration with researchers from the Indian Foundation for Butterflies Trust.
- The researchers found five male and four female specimens of the conjoined silverline butterfly in Honey valley, Kodagu district of Karnataka.
Characteristic features:
- On the upperside, nearly half of the top wing is black, and there's a shiny blue colour on the lower wings. There's an orange patch with two black spots on the lower wings. The outer edge of the top wing doesn't have any orange markings.
- On the underside, which is the side of the wings facing down, bands of colours are visible. The bands on the top wings are fused together without separation, and the lower wings have spots that are connected to form broad bands with irregular outlines.
- The underside also features bands with silver lines down the centre and thin black borders along the edges.
Spread:
- During their field research, the scientists identified 30 individuals of the conjoined silverline butterfly, which belongs to the Lycaenidae family.
- In India, there are 16 species of silverline butterflies, with 11 of them found in both peninsular India and Sri Lanka.
- While these butterfly species are widespread in India, some are limited to the Himalayan region.
Second endemic species:
- The newly described conjoined silverline butterfly is only the second endemic species discovered in the Western Ghats and is primarily found in dense mid-elevation evergreen forests, indicating specialised habitat preferences.
- Although the conjoined silverline appears similar to other silverline butterflies from a distance, closer examination reveals distinct wing patterns that set it apart.
- This unique characteristic, consisting of fused bands on the underside of the wings, led to the species being named” conjoined silverline”.
