Norris Tie is the CEO of Exosonic, a California-based startup that is developing a low sonic boom supersonic passenger aircraft. Norris holds an engineering degree from UCLA, an MBA from Stanford, and before starting Exosonic worked on supersonic aircraft at Northrup Grumman, Virgin Galactic and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works.
What differentiates Exosonic from other upstarts in the reviving supersonic aircraft space is that the company is specifically focusing on reducing the intensity of sonic booms. Current regulation forbids supersonic flights across America to minimise noise pollution; a restriction which significantly limited the routes that the first supersonic airliner, the Concorde, could fly. To soften sonic booms, Exosonic is using a concept and technology originally pioneered by NASA known as shaped sonic booms. As a first step, Exosonic has partnered with the US Air Force to develop a supersonic executive transport aircraft that will provide US leaders and diplomats rapid transportation around the world. In this episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast, Norris and I talk about
- his life-long inspiration for speeding-up air travel
- the theory behind shaped sonic booms
- what is different about designing supersonic aircraft
- and the economics of supersonic flight
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Selected Links from the Episode
- Exosonic webpage, Twitter & LinkedIn
- Exosonic’s supersonic Air Force One concept:
- Exosonic is hiring
- Shaped Sonic Booms
- NASA Book: Quieting the Boom
