In stunning images, NASA has revealed the moment an experimental supersonic aircraft broke the sound barrier without producing a sonic boom.

The data discovered might lead the way for supersonic commercial flights without sonic booms, the company said in the news release.

The photo, published by the company on X, was taken during the second supersonic flight of the aircraft. To capture this moment, NASA used the Schlieren optical technique, which allows visualizing changes in air density around the jet and the shockwave generated during flight.