第2569期:New US Jet Breaks Sound Barrier in First Flight Test(1)

An experimental aircraft developed by a private American company broke the sound barrier during a recent flight test.

一家美国私人公司开发的实验飞机在最近的飞行测试中打破了声音障碍。

California-based company Boom Supersonic built the plane, named XB-1. The company said the aircraft reached a speed of Mach 1.05 during a test on January 28. The test flight operated from the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California.

总部位于加利福尼亚的公司Boom Supersonic建造了该飞机，名为XB-1。该公司表示，这架飞机在1月28日的测试中达到了1.05马赫的速度。测试飞行从加利福尼亚州莫哈韦的莫哈韦空气和太空港口运行。

Any speed greater than Mach 1.0 breaks the sound barrier and is considered supersonic. The American space agency NASA explains that at sea level, the speed of sound is estimated to be about 1,236 kilometers per hour.

大于1.0马赫的任何速度都会打破声音屏障，被认为是超音速。美国航天局NASA解释说，在海平面上，估计声音速度约为每小时1,236公里。

In a statement, Boom Supersonic said the XB-1 demonstrator aircraft climbed to more than 35,000 feet before reaching Mach 1.0. It recorded the speed within 11 minutes of taking off. The company also released a video feed of the supersonic test flight.

Boom Supersonic在一份声明中说，XB-1示威飞机在达到1.0马赫之前攀升至35,000英尺以上。它在起飞的11分钟内记录了速度。该公司还发布了超音速测试飞行的视频供稿。

The company said in a press release, “Historically, supersonic aircraft have been the work of nation states, developed by militaries and governments.” But the latest flight made the XB-1 “the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet” to break the sound barrier, Boom Supersonic said.

该公司在新闻稿中表示：“从历史上看，超音速飞机一直是由军队和政府发展的民族国家的工作。” Boom Supersonic说，但是最新的航班使XB-1“世界上第一个独立开发的超音速喷气机”打破了声音障碍。

The company’s founder and chief executive officer, Blake Scholl, said, “XB-1’s supersonic flight demonstrates that the technology for passenger supersonic flight has arrived.”

该公司的创始人兼首席执行官布雷克·肖尔（Blake Scholl）表示：“ XB-1的超音速航班表明，乘客超音速飞行技术已经到来。”

Boom Supersonic launched in 2014 “with the goal of making high-speed travel mainstream and enabling a new world of human connection.” With that in mind, the company has been working to develop a supersonic passenger airliner called Overture. The aircraft would carry up to 80 passengers.

Boom Supersonic于2014年推出：“目的是建立高速旅行主流并实现人类联系的新世界。” 考虑到这一点，该公司一直在努力开发一架名为Overture的超音速客机。飞机最多可容纳80名乘客。

Boom Supersonic is one of several American companies seeking to develop supersonic flight vehicles. NASA is also working on a supersonic aircraft in partnership with a U.S. contractor.

Boom Supersonic是希望开发超音速飞行车辆的几家美国公司之一。NASA还与美国承包商合作生产了超音速飞机。

The last time supersonic travel was available to passengers was 2003. That is the year the Concorde – the world’s first supersonic passenger jet aircraft – stopped service. Britain and France jointly operated the Concorde.

乘客上次可以进行超音速旅行是2003年。那一年，与世界上第一艘超音速飞机飞机的协和一年停止了服务。英国和法国共同经营协和。