{"id":446966,"date":"2026-06-06T06:44:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T20:44:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=1002568"},"modified":"2026-06-06T06:44:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T20:44:57","slug":"nasas-x-59-aircraft-flies-supersonic-for-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=446966","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s\u00a0X-59\u00a0Aircraft\u00a0Flies Supersonic for First Time"},"content":{"rendered":"
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4 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<\/a><\/figure>
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NASA\u2019s X-59 eXternal Vision System shows Mach\u202f1.077 on Friday, June 5,\u202f2026, marking the aircraft\u2019s first time reaching supersonic speed in support of NASA\u2019s Quesst mission. The moment represents a milestone for the aircraft as it transitions to include test flights faster than the speed of sound.<\/div>\n
NASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NASA\u2019s\u00a0experimental\u00a0<\/strong>X-59\u00a0aircraft\u00a0marked\u00a0a major milestone\u00a0Friday,\u00a0June\u00a05,\u00a0when it\u00a0flew faster than the speed of sound for the first time,\u00a0setting the stage for\u00a0demonstrating\u00a0its quiet supersonic capabilities\u00a0later this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

NASA test pilot Jim \u201cClue\u201d Less<\/a>\u00a0took off\u00a0and landed\u00a0at Edwards Air Force Base\u00a0in California, reaching a top speed of\u00a0approximately\u00a0Mach\u00a01.1\u00a0(713\u00a0mph)\u00a0and altitude of\u00a043,400 feet.\u00a0The\u00a0X-59\u2019s\u00a0flight began at\u00a011:08\u00a0a.m.\u00a0PDT\u00a0and lasted 81\u00a0minutes,\u00a0with\u00a0the team focusing on flying qualities\u00a0at\u00a0both subsonic and then supersonic speeds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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In the coming days, we expect to take the next step and push to Mach 1.4<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\"jared<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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jared isaacman<\/p>\n

NASA Administrator<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201dX-59 is getting ready for its quiet supersonic debut. Since the aircraft\u2019s first flight on Oct. 28, 2025, the team has made tremendous progress,\u00a0flying\u00a016\u00a0times\u00a0in the last 90 days and getting into a steady test rhythm. In the coming days, we expect to take the next step and push to Mach 1.4,\u201d said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman<\/a> \u201cI\u2019m grateful to the NASA team and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works for their help getting us to this point, and I hope this is the first of many collaborations as we rebuild NASA\u2019s X-plane portfolio.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The X-59 is designed to fly\u00a0at\u00a0supersonic\u00a0speeds\u00a0while creating only a quiet thump instead of a loud sonic boom.\u00a0For this flight, a\u00a0NASA F\u201115 chase plane<\/a> flew nearby to\u00a0monitor\u00a0the X\u201159.\u00a0The\u00a0loud sonic booms from\u00a0the F-15\u00a0obscured\u00a0any sound made by the X-59.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe X-59\u2019s first supersonic flight is a testament to America\u2019s enduring leadership in science, engineering, and aerospace innovation,\u201d said Michael Kratsios, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. \u201cThis achievement comes as the Trump Administration continues work to unleash supersonic flight and enable American ingenuity.\u201d <\/p>\n

This first supersonic flight is a significant milestone, but an event even more critical to the mission is upcoming. In just days, the aircraft is expected to make its first \u201cmission conditions\u201d flight, reaching a cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (925 mph) and altitude of approximately 55,000 feet. The X-59 also will be accompanied by a chase plane for this flight.  <\/p>\n

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\"NASA\u2019s<\/a><\/figure>
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NASA\u2019s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft completed its first supersonic flight Friday, June 5,\u202f2026, marking the first time the aircraft exceeded the speed of sound in support of NASA\u2019s Quesst mission. The milestone represents a major step in flight testing as the aircraft expands into the supersonic portion of its flight envelope.<\/div>\n
NASA \/ Lori Losey<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This speed and altitude are the base conditions for the X-59 when it will eventually fly over several U.S. communities enabling NASA to gather data about how people may perceive its quiet thump. NASA will share this data with U.S. and international regulators to help establish new data-driven noise standards to enable a future viable market for supersonic commercial flight over land. <\/p>\n

For the last several months, the\u00a0X-59\u00a0has been\u00a0participating\u00a0in an ongoing series of flights<\/a> where the plane has been\u00a0flying at a wide range of speeds and altitudes\u00a0\u2013\u00a0a process known as envelope expansion.<\/em>\u00a0These tests are the first\u00a0phase of the X-59\u2019s flight testing. They are\u00a0focused on performance\u00a0and involve chase plane monitoring.\u00a0When\u00a0the\u00a0aircraft\u00a0completes this\u00a0phase\u00a0it will enter another,\u00a0focused on its sound profile\u00a0in order\u00a0to\u00a0verify\u00a0its quiet\u00a0thump capability.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA\u2019s Quesst mission<\/a>, which aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight and help enable commercial supersonic flight over land worldwide. These advancements will help travelers reach their preferred destinations faster, spending less time in the air. <\/p>\n

Through Quesst\u2019s development of the X-59, NASA also will deliver design tools and technology for quiet supersonic airliners that will achieve the high speeds desired by commercial operators without disturbing people on the ground. NASA will validate design tools through ground and flight testing, providing U.S. aircraft manufacturers the ability to explore new quiet supersonic concepts, and provide them with confidence that their resulting designs will meet quiet flight requirements.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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Read more about NASA’s Quesst mission and the X-59.<\/a><\/h3>\n
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