{"id":440981,"date":"2026-05-29T08:29:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T22:29:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=1000386"},"modified":"2026-05-29T08:29:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T22:29:20","slug":"nasas-x-59-prepares-for-first-supersonic-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=440981","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s X-59 Prepares for\u202fFirst Supersonic Flight\u202f\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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6 min read<\/p>\n

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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NASA\u2019s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies over Rogers Dry Lake near NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. NASA continues expanding the aircraft\u2019s flight envelope through a series of lower-altitude and slower-speed flights ahead of upcoming flight tests at speeds faster than the speed of sound.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Jim Ross<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NASA\u2019s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is preparing for some of its most significant flights yet. The X-plane is about to begin a new block of test flights that will include its first time flying faster than the speed of sound and other mission-critical objectives.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat comes next is the first time this one-of-a-kind aircraft will fly supersonic,\u201d said Cathy Bahm, project manager for NASA\u2019s Low Boom Flight Demonstrator. \u201cWe are starting toward the mission conditions test point that X-59 was designed for.\u201d<\/p>\n

After months of flights, the X-59 team reviewed their progress in late May and now look toward the aircraft\u2019s next series of flight tests, including higher altitudes and faster speeds. This will give engineers a look at how the X-59 handles under required operational conditions for NASA\u2019s Quesst mission to eventually gather data on quiet supersonic flight.<\/p>\n

The team expects the X-59 to fly supersonic \u2013 over 630 mph \u2013 for the first time at approximately 43,000 feet altitude during a series of test flights in early June, a major milestone for the aircraft. After that, it will conduct a \u201cmission conditions\u201d flight, where it will hit Mach 1.4 (925 mph) at approximately 55,000 feet. That speed and altitude are important because they\u2019re NASA\u2019s performance targets for the X-59 to eventually fly over U.S. communities to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight and collect feedback data about the aircraft’s quiet sonic \u201cthump\u201d from the public.<\/p>\n

While the X-59 is designed to fly at supersonic speeds without producing a loud sonic boom, these early flights are not yet intended to demonstrate its quiet supersonic capabilities. The X-59 will be accompanied by a traditional supersonic chase plane, so any quiet thump it produces in the current phase of testing will be obscured by louder, traditional sonic booms from the chase. In supersonic flights this summer, the chase aircraft will also be outfitted with a specialized shock-sensing probe to take initial measurements of the X-59\u2019s shock waves.<\/p>\n

Completed flights<\/strong> <\/h2>\n
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The X-59\u2019s first block of flights successfully met several test goals, generating data for its team to analyze. After making its first flight in October 2025, it entered a scheduled period of maintenance before returning to the skies in March 2026. It has since completed 14 additional flights, marking milestones including:<\/p>\n