Space & Satellites
IBM NASA Surya AI Model Enhances Solar Storm Prediction Accuracy
IBM and NASA unveil Surya, an AI model improving solar storm forecasts by 16% to protect technology and infrastructure globally.
Revolutionary AI Model Surya Transforms Solar Storm Prediction and Technology Protection Through NASA-IBM Partnership
The development of the Surya Heliophysics Foundation Model marks a pivotal moment in the advancement of space weather prediction. By harnessing artificial intelligence and over a decade of continuous solar observation data, IBM and NASA have created an unprecedented capability for forecasting solar storms, events that pose significant threats to global technology infrastructure. Announced in August 2025, this collaboration has yielded the first foundation model tailored to heliophysics, achieving a 16% improvement in solar flare classification accuracy and providing visual predictions of flare locations up to two hours in advance. The potential economic impact of major solar storms is immense, with global losses estimated at $2.4 trillion over five years, underscoring the necessity of accurate prediction systems for safeguarding satellites, power grids, and communication networks. By releasing this 366-million parameter model as open source, IBM and NASA have democratized access to advanced space weather forecasting, empowering researchers worldwide to build upon NASA’s extensive Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) dataset and create specialized applications.
The Surya model’s open-source nature, performance breakthroughs, and technical innovations not only represent a leap forward in scientific capability but also signal a new era of interdisciplinary collaboration. The model’s development and deployment have implications for global resilience, economic stability, and the future of AI-driven scientific discovery.
Background on Solar Weather and Space Storms
Solar weather, driven by the Sun’s dynamic magnetic and plasma processes, is a major natural hazard for modern technology. The Sun’s nuclear fusion core generates complex magnetic fields, occasionally releasing charged particles and electromagnetic radiation in the form of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). When these phenomena reach Earth, they can disrupt satellites, power grids, and communications networks.
The significance of solar storms became widely recognized after the 1859 Carrington Event, which caused global telegraph failures and electrical fires. Today, the stakes are exponentially higher, as our dependence on electronic systems and interconnected infrastructure leaves us more vulnerable to space weather. The launch of NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory in 2010 represented a turning point, providing high-frequency, multi-wavelength solar observations that form the backbone of modern predictive efforts.
Solar activity follows an 11-year cycle, with peak periods producing frequent and intense storms. The classification system for solar flares, C, M, and X classes, reflects their increasing intensity, with X-class flares posing the greatest risk. The physical mechanisms behind these events involve the reconfiguration of magnetic field lines in the Sun’s corona, releasing vast amounts of energy that can travel through space at extraordinary speeds.
“If a Carrington-level event occurred today, the technological and economic impacts would be orders of magnitude greater than in the 19th century.”
The Economic Stakes of Space Weather Protection
The economic vulnerability to space weather has grown with the proliferation of satellite-dependent systems and digital infrastructure. According to Lloyd’s of London, a severe solar storm could expose the global economy to losses between $1.2 trillion and $9.1 trillion, with North-America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific facing the greatest risks. These projections reflect the interconnectedness of global power grids, telecommunications, and financial systems.
Electric power grids are particularly susceptible; geomagnetically induced currents from CMEs can overload transformers and trigger cascading failures. The 1989 Quebec blackout, caused by a geomagnetic storm, left millions without power and resulted in significant economic losses, a scenario that could be far worse today. Satellite operators face risks from radiation and charging effects, with past events leading to satellite failures and service disruptions.
The aviation industry is also exposed, especially on polar routes where communication blackouts and increased radiation can force costly rerouting. Telecommunications and GPS services, which underpin everything from agriculture to finance, can be degraded or disabled during severe storms. NOAA’s economic analyses estimate that space weather forecasting services help the electric power industry avoid losses ranging from $111 million to $27 billion, depending on the severity of the event.
“Space weather forecasting is not just a scientific endeavor, it’s an economic imperative for modern society.”
Technical Innovation Behind the Surya AI Model
Surya represents a technological leap in the application of AI to solar physics. The model, named after the Sanskrit word for “sun,” features 366 million parameters and a spatiotemporal transformer architecture designed to handle the massive scale and complexity of solar observation data. Its training relied on nine years of SDO data, encompassing multiple channels and instruments that capture the Sun’s behavior in unprecedented detail.
Key innovations include spectral gating and long-short range attention mechanisms, allowing the model to capture both fine spatial details and long-term temporal dynamics. Surya is the first heliophysics foundation model to use time advancement as a pretext task, enabling it to learn the physics of solar evolution by predicting changes in solar structures over time. This is further enhanced by autoregressive rollout tuning, which improves prediction accuracy over extended timeframes.
The model’s development required specialized computational infrastructure, provided by the National Science Foundation and NVIDIA, to process petabytes of high-resolution data. Surya’s architecture supports parameter-efficient fine-tuning, allowing researchers to adapt it for tasks such as active region segmentation, solar wind forecasting, and EUV spectra prediction.
“Surya’s ability to learn the Sun’s rotation and magnetic dynamics directly from data is a breakthrough for AI-driven scientific discovery.”
Performance Capabilities and Breakthrough Results
Surya’s performance sets new benchmarks in space weather prediction. Testing shows a 16% improvement in solar flare classification accuracy over previous methods, a substantial gain in a field where accuracy directly translates to protection for critical infrastructure. The model can provide visual predictions of flare locations up to two hours in advance, giving operators more time to take protective action.
The model’s versatility extends to forecasting solar wind speeds up to four days ahead and predicting the emergence of active regions that often precede major flares. Its ability to forecast EUV spectra across 1,343 channels enables more accurate modeling of atmospheric and satellite drag conditions, benefiting both scientific research and operational planning.
Surya’s architecture allows it to generalize across multiple applications, with zero-shot evaluations demonstrating its capability to forecast solar dynamics and flare events without task-specific fine-tuning. This broad applicability reduces the resources required for specialized research and operational deployment.
“Surya’s foundation model approach accelerates research and operational forecasting, setting a new standard for space weather science.”
Strategic Partnership Between IBM and NASA
The IBM-NASA partnership exemplifies the power of public-private collaboration in scientific innovation. Building on a broader initiative to develop foundational AI models for Earth and space science, the Surya project leverages IBM’s expertise in AI architecture and NASA’s deep domain knowledge in solar physics. This collaboration has produced not only technical breakthroughs but also new models for interdisciplinary research.
Key figures such as Juan Bernabé-Moreno of IBM and Kevin Murphy of NASA have emphasized the transformative potential of AI for space science. The partnership draws on expertise from multiple institutions, including NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Southwest Research Institute, and others, ensuring that Surya meets both scientific and operational requirements.
The project’s open-source approach and integration with platforms like Hugging Face and GitHub reflect a commitment to transparency and global collaboration. By making Surya accessible to researchers worldwide, IBM and NASA are fostering a more inclusive and innovative scientific community.
Open Source Accessibility and Democratic Research
Surya’s open-source release is a significant departure from proprietary AI development. By publishing the model and its datasets on platforms such as Hugging Face, GitHub, and IBM’s TerraTorch, IBM and NASA have enabled researchers everywhere to access, modify, and extend Surya for their own applications. This approach supports reproducibility, accelerates innovation, and lowers barriers for institutions with limited resources.
The availability of curated datasets and benchmarks (SuryaBench) simplifies the process of developing and evaluating new heliophysics applications. Educational institutions are already incorporating Surya into curricula, ensuring that the next generation of researchers gains practical experience with advanced AI models.
The open-source model also supports commercial innovation, allowing companies to develop new services for satellite operations, power grid management, and space weather forecasting. This democratization of technology aligns with broader trends in open science and public-private partnership.
Conclusion
The Surya Heliophysics Foundation Model represents a major advancement in space weather prediction, offering improved accuracy, longer lead times, and broad applicability across scientific and operational domains. Its development through the IBM-NASA partnership demonstrates the potential of AI to address critical vulnerabilities in modern infrastructure while advancing fundamental scientific understanding.
As Surya’s capabilities are integrated into global space weather monitoring systems and adapted for new applications, the model’s open-source nature will ensure that its benefits are widely shared. The future of space weather science is likely to be shaped by continued collaboration, technological innovation, and the democratization of advanced predictive tools, transforming solar storms from unpredictable threats into manageable risks.
FAQ
What is the Surya Heliophysics Foundation Model?
Surya is an open-source AI model developed by IBM and NASA to predict solar storms and related space weather events, using high-resolution solar observation data.
How accurate is Surya compared to previous models?
Surya improves solar flare classification accuracy by 16% over earlier methods and can provide visual predictions up to two hours in advance.
Why is space weather prediction important?
Accurate space weather prediction is vital for protecting satellites, power grids, telecommunications, and GPS systems from disruptions caused by solar storms, which can have significant economic and safety impacts.
Is the Surya model available to the public?
Yes, Surya and its datasets are available as open source on platforms like Hugging Face and GitHub, enabling global access for research and development.
What are the future implications of Surya’s release?
Surya’s success paves the way for more advanced, collaborative, and open approaches to space weather prediction, with potential benefits for scientific research, industry, and global infrastructure protection.
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Photo Credit: IBM
Space & Satellites
Space Nuclear Power Faces Logistical and Economic Barriers, DRACO Canceled
Experts say space nuclear power challenges are logistical and economic, not technical. DRACO canceled; focus shifts to nuclear reactors in space and on the Moon.
This article summarizes reporting by Aerospace America.
For decades, the aerospace industry has recognized the immense potential of space nuclear power. Despite possessing the foundational technical knowledge since the 1960s, modern spacecraft continue to rely predominantly on chemical propulsion and solar arrays. A recent workshop at the May 2026 AIAA ASCEND event in Washington, D.C., sought to unpack this enduring paradox.
According to reporting by Aerospace America, a panel of aerospace and policy experts concluded that the primary barriers to deploying nuclear reactors in space are no longer technical. Instead, the industry is grappling with logistical, economic, and systemic hurdles that have repeatedly stalled progress.
The recent cancellation of the highly publicized Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program in mid-2025 serves as a stark, real-world validation of these expert assessments, demonstrating how shifting economic landscapes can ground even the most ambitious nuclear initiatives.
The Illusion of Technical Barriers
During the ASCEND workshop, hosted by Brian Weeden of The Aerospace Corporation, panelists emphasized the extensive capital and time already invested in space nuclear research. Bhavya Lal, a professor at the RAND School of Public Policy, highlighted that the United States has spent 60 years and over $20 billion proving that the technology itself is viable.
“The technology has never been the bottleneck. What has failed each time is the system around the reactor,” Lal stated, according to the workshop coverage.
Lal further explained that these systemic failures include shifting mission scopes, a lack of political continuity, and unstable leadership architectures that prevent long-term projects from reaching the launch pad.
Stagnation Since the Space Race
The historical context of space nuclear power underscores the panel’s frustrations. During the Cold War, the U.S. heavily researched and successfully ground-tested nuclear thermal rockets through initiatives like the NERVA program. However, as reported by Aerospace America, these programs were ultimately scrapped due to changing political administrations and budget cuts following the Apollo era.
Tabitha Dodson, a program manager at the DARPA Defense Sciences Office, noted the resulting stagnation in the field during her panel remarks.
“The United States hasn’t really evolved our nuclear space technology since the fifties or sixties,” Dodson remarked at the event.
Dodson added that current research priorities have had to pivot toward radioisotope power systems and direct-energy power conversion systems to maintain momentum in a risk-averse funding environment.
Economic Realities and the DRACO Cancellation
The intersection of aerospace engineering and economic viability was brought into sharp focus with the recent fate of the DRACO program. Initiated in 2020 as a joint effort between DARPA, NASA, Lockheed Martin, and BWX Technologies, DRACO aimed to test a nuclear thermal rocket in orbit by 2027. Nuclear thermal propulsion was projected to be two to three times more efficient than chemical propulsion, potentially halving the travel time to Mars.
The Impact of Commercial Launch Costs
In June 2025, DARPA officially canceled the DRACO program. According to public statements from DARPA deputy director Rob McHenry, the decision was driven entirely by economics rather than technical failure.
The rapid decrease in commercial launch costs, largely propelled by the heavy-lift capabilities of companies like SpaceX, fundamentally altered the financial equation. The massive research and development costs required to perfect nuclear thermal propulsion could no longer be justified by a positive return on investment when chemical launches had become so inexpensive.
Current Mandates and the Path Forward
Despite the setbacks in nuclear propulsion, the push for nuclear power generation in space remains robust. Current executive mandates have established ambitious timelines, aiming for a functional nuclear reactor in space by 2028 and a working reactor on the lunar surface by 2030. These systems are considered critical for supporting long-term lunar habitats and deep-space exploration missions.
Balancing Ambition and Safety
Aaron Miles, Coordinator for Strategic Capabilities at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, discussed these targets at the ASCEND workshop. He emphasized the administration’s focus on setting goals that push the industry forward without ignoring logistical realities.
“Lunar surface reactor development efforts and in-space reactor efforts can benefit each other,” Miles noted regarding the dual mandates.
To meet these goals while navigating strict regulatory and safety hurdles, modern programs are utilizing High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU). Furthermore, contemporary reactor designs ensure that fission is only initiated once the system is safely in orbit, mitigating the historical public fears and international treaty complications associated with launching nuclear material.
AirPro News analysis
We observe that the pivot from nuclear propulsion (like the canceled DRACO program) to stationary nuclear surface power reflects a pragmatic maturation of the aerospace sector. While reusable chemical rockets have decisively won the current launch economics battle, sustained deep-space habitats and lunar bases will undeniably require the continuous, high-density energy that only nuclear reactors can provide. The looming 2028 and 2030 mandates will serve as a critical test of whether the U.S. government and its commercial partners can finally overcome the systemic inertia and political discontinuity described by the ASCEND panelists.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the DRACO program?
The Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) was a joint U.S. government and industry program initiated in 2020 to develop and test a nuclear thermal rocket by 2027. It was canceled in June 2025 due to shifting economic priorities and the falling cost of commercial chemical rocket launches.
Why is nuclear power needed in space?
While solar panels and chemical batteries are sufficient for operations near Earth, deep-space exploration and permanent lunar or Martian habitats require reliable, high-density power sources that can operate continuously without sunlight or frequent resupply.
What is HALEU?
High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) is a type of nuclear fuel that provides a balance between high energy output and safety, making it a preferred choice for modern space reactor designs to comply with international regulations and safety standards.
Sources
Photo Credit: Aerospace America
Space & Satellites
SpaceX Secures $4.16B Contract for Space-Based Airborne Targeting
SpaceX awarded $4.16B by U.S. Space Force to develop SB-AMTI satellite constellation for global airborne threat detection by 2028.
This article summarizes reporting by DefenseScoop.
The U.S. Space Force has awarded SpaceX a $4.16 billion Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement to accelerate the development of the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator (SB-AMTI) program. According to reporting by DefenseScoop, the May 29, 2026, award aims to deploy a constellation of satellites capable of continuously detecting, tracking, and targeting airborne threats, including aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles, globally from space.
This multi-billion dollar contract highlights a strategic shift by the Pentagon to move critical surveillance capabilities from vulnerable airborne platforms to a more resilient space-based architecture. The Space Force expects to field an initial constellation by 2028, providing the Joint Force with an early operational capability.
SpaceX’s selection is part of a broader competitive procurement strategy. According to the source material, the aerospace company is one of nine vendors selected in April 2026 to compete for the SB-AMTI program. The Space Force anticipates issuing multiple awards to other vendors in the coming year to maintain a diverse industrial base.
The Shift from Air to Space
Retiring Legacy Airborne Systems
Historically, the U.S. military has relied on airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, such as the aging E-3 Sentry and the retired E-8 JSTARS, to execute moving target indicator missions. However, DefenseScoop reports that as adversaries develop increasingly sophisticated anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) systems, these large, slow-moving aircraft have become highly vulnerable in contested airspace.
To address these operational blind spots, the Space Force is developing SB-AMTI to complement traditional airborne sensing. While the Air Force is currently procuring the E-7 Wedgetail to replace the E-3 Sentry, following congressional intervention to save the E-7 program from budget cuts, the Pentagon’s long-term goal is to transition the bulk of AMTI tasks into the space domain for enhanced survivability.
“To compliment traditional airborne sensing, the requirement for a layered, highly resilient tracking architecture is evident.”
Contract Details and Strategic Context
Funding and the “Golden Dome” Framework
The $4.16 billion OTA agreement tasks SpaceX with building an interconnected “system-of-systems” that combines space-based sensors, secure communication links, and ground processing to track moving airborne targets in real-time. To support this architecture, the Space Force has requested $7 billion to begin the formal procurement of SB-AMTI in fiscal year 2027, though DefenseScoop notes these funds are contingent upon Congress passing a reconciliation bill.
The SB-AMTI program is also a critical component of President Donald Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative. This framework aims to create a multi-layered defense system spanning ground, air, and space to detect and intercept airborne threats. The military is fast-tracking the SB-AMTI program to ensure the defensive system can meet its 2028 operational target.
“By focusing these capabilities to the space domain, we are providing the Joint Force with sustained battlespace awareness of contested airspace.”
SpaceX’s Growing Defense Portfolio
A Week of Multi-Billion Dollar Awards
This latest contract cements SpaceX’s position as a dominant player in U.S. national security. According to the provided research, the SB-AMTI award arrives just days after the Space Force granted SpaceX a separate $2.29 billion contracts on May 26, 2026, for the Space Data Network Backbone program, which will provide satellite communications for future missile interceptors.
In a single week, SpaceX secured nearly $6.45 billion in defense contracts. This surge in government backing coincides with industry reports indicating that SpaceX is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) that could value the company at over $1.5 trillion.
Future Milestones and Parallel Programs
Looking Toward 2035
The Space Force has outlined an aggressive timeline for its space-based surveillance initiatives. Following the projected 2028 deployment of the initial SB-AMTI satellite constellation, the military anticipates operating second- and third-generation systems by 2035.
In parallel, the Space Force is developing the Space-Based Ground Moving Target Indicator (SB-GMTI) program to track ground-based targets. DefenseScoop reports that this complementary system is currently in the research-and-development phase.
“We will not leverage any one single provider; instead, we are partnering with a highly diversified pool of traditional and non-traditional vendors…”
AirPro News analysis
At AirPro News, we observe that the rapid succession of multi-billion dollar OTA agreements awarded to SpaceX underscores a fundamental shift in Pentagon procurement. By utilizing Other Transaction Authority agreements, the Space Force is bypassing traditional, often sluggish acquisition processes to field critical capabilities on an accelerated timeline. This is particularly vital given the 2028 target for the “Golden Dome” initiative.
Furthermore, the explicit linkage of the SB-AMTI program to national missile defense suggests that space-based sensing is no longer viewed merely as a support function, but as the primary nervous system for future combat operations. While the Space Force publicly emphasizes vendor diversity, noting that SpaceX is just one of nine companies selected for the vendor pool, the sheer financial volume of SpaceX’s recent awards indicates that the industrial base for national security space is heavily reliant on a few highly capable mega-constellation providers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SB-AMTI program?
The Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator (SB-AMTI) is a U.S. Space Force initiative designed to deploy a constellation of satellites capable of detecting, tracking, and targeting airborne threats globally from space.
How much is the SpaceX contract worth?
The U.S. Space Force awarded SpaceX a $4.16 billion Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement for the SB-AMTI program on May 29, 2026.
When will the SB-AMTI system be operational?
The Space Force projects the deployment of an initial SB-AMTI satellite constellation by 2028, with second- and third-generation systems anticipated by 2035.
Sources
Photo Credit: Starbase Texas
Space & Satellites
NASA X-59 Set for First Supersonic Flight in June 2026
NASA’s X-59 experimental aircraft will make its first supersonic flight in June 2026 to test quiet supersonic technology and reduce sonic booms.
NASA’s experimental X-59 aircraft is preparing to cross a historic aviation threshold. According to an official press release from the space agency, the quiet supersonic research aircraft is scheduled for its first supersonic flight in early June 2026. This milestone marks a critical phase in NASA’s Quesst (Quiet SuperSonic Technology) mission, which seeks to demonstrate that an aircraft can break the sound barrier without producing a disruptive sonic boom.
Since its maiden flight in October 2025, the X-59 has successfully completed 14 subsonic test flights, according to NASA’s project data. The upcoming tests will transition the aircraft into a rigorous “envelope expansion” phase. By gathering precise acoustic data, NASA ultimately hopes to provide federal and international regulators with the evidence needed to reconsider the 53-year-old ban on commercial supersonic flight over land.
To prepare for these high-stakes flights, the X-59 team has recently accelerated its testing cadence. NASA reports that in late April 2026, the ground crew and flight team successfully executed two test flights in a single day for the first time, demonstrating the aircraft’s growing reliability.
The Quesst Mission and Envelope Expansion
Pushing Toward Mach 1.4
The initial supersonic test scheduled for early June 2026 will see the X-59 cross the sound barrier, exceeding 630 mph, at an altitude of approximately 43,000 feet. Following this initial breakthrough, NASA plans to push the aircraft toward its ultimate “mission conditions.” Official specifications dictate a target cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (approximately 925 mph) at an altitude of 55,000 feet.
In the agency’s press release, Cathy Bahm, Project Manager for NASA’s Low Boom Flight Demonstrator, emphasized the importance of this testing phase:
“What comes next is the first time this one-of-a-kind aircraft will fly supersonic. We are starting toward the mission conditions test point that X-59 was designed for.”
Bahm further noted that completing the first mission-conditions flight is a significant milestone, as it allows the team to verify that the aircraft performs safely in its intended environment.
Engineering a “Quiet Thump”
Unconventional Design and Testing Methodology
The X-59 was built by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works under a $247.5 million contract awarded by NASA in 2018. To achieve its acoustic goals, the aircraft features a highly unconventional design. According to project specifications, the nose accounts for nearly a third of the aircraft’s total length. This elongated structure is engineered specifically to scatter shock waves before they can merge into a loud sonic boom.
Because of this unique aerodynamic shape, the cockpit lacks a forward-facing windshield. Instead, NASA equipped the X-59 with a high-resolution External Vision System (XVS), which feeds live camera footage to an in-cockpit monitor to allow pilots to navigate safely.
NASA test pilot Jim ‘Clue’ Less detailed the cautious approach the flight team is taking during this envelope expansion phase:
“From here on out, once we’re airborne, we can increase speed and increase altitude in small, measured chunks, looking at things as we go and not getting ahead of ourselves.”
During these initial supersonic flights, the public will not yet hear the anticipated “quiet thump.” NASA states that the X-59 will be accompanied by a traditional F-15 chase plane equipped with a specialized shock-sensing probe. The traditional sonic boom produced by the F-15 will obscure the X-59’s quieter acoustic signature from observers on the ground.
AirPro News analysis
We view the upcoming June 2026 flights as a pivotal moment not just for NASA, but for the broader commercial aviation industry. In 1973, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned commercial supersonic flights over U.S. land due to severe noise pollution. For historical context, the retired Concorde produced a sonic boom of about 105 to 110 Effective Perceived Noise Level in decibels (EPNdB). NASA’s target for the X-59 is a mere 75 EPNdB, roughly equivalent to the sound of a car door closing 20 feet away.
If the current Phase 1 envelope expansion is successful, NASA will move to Phase 2 (Acoustic Validation) later in 2026, utilizing a 48-kilometer-long array of 125 sonic boom recorders in the Mojave Desert. Phase 3 will involve flying the aircraft over selected U.S. communities to gather public feedback. We believe that this methodical, data-driven approach is the most viable pathway for the aerospace sector to establish new noise standards and potentially unlock a new era of overland commercial supersonic travel.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the NASA X-59?
The X-59 is an experimental research aircraft developed by NASA and Lockheed Martin as part of the Quesst mission. It is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound without producing a loud sonic boom, reducing the noise to a quiet “thump.”
When is the X-59’s first supersonic flight?
According to NASA, the aircraft is scheduled to make its first supersonic flight in early June 2026, crossing the sound barrier at an altitude of approximately 43,000 feet.
Why does the X-59 have no forward windshield?
To prevent shock waves from merging into a sonic boom, the X-59 requires an exceptionally long, pointed nose, which obstructs forward visibility. Pilots use an External Vision System (XVS), a network of cameras and screens, to see directly in front of the aircraft.
Sources
Photo Credit: NASA
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