NASA to conduct sonic boom testing off Galveston coast

GALVESTON, Texas -- NASA is planning to conduct sonic boom tests over Galveston as part of a new study.

Peter Coen is the project manager for NASA's Commercial Supersonic Technology. Coen tells the Galveston County Daily News that the study will help design new supersonic commercial planes that could break the sound barrier without disturbing the peace.

He says planes will perform special maneuvers over the Gulf of Mexico off Galveston in November to produce a quieter sonic boom. NASA will collect data and enlist volunteers to react to the booms.

Coen says NASA chose Galveston because of the city's proximity to the water and its relatively condensed population.

He says the tests shouldn't cause much disruption and the sonic booms should sound like distant thunder.