The X-59, the centerpiece of NASA's Quesst ("Quiet Supersonic Technology") program, is designed to generate mild thumps rather than clapping booms. If all goes to plan, the work it's doing now could help bring widespread supersonic flight back to the U.S.

Orbit Robotics built Helios, a four-armed robot designed for zero gravity that grips and braces inside spacecraft while performing maintenance tasks.