NASA's X-59 Completes First Supersonic Flight, Paving Way for Quiet Sonic Boom Demonstrations
NASA's experimental X-59 aircraft marked a major milestone on Friday, June 5, when it flew faster than the speed of sound for the first time. The test flight, conducted by NASA test pilot Jim "Clue" Less, took off and landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
The aircraft reached a top speed of approximately Mach 1.1 (713 mph) and an altitude of 43,400 feet. The flight began at 11:08 a.m. PDT and lasted 81 minutes. The team focused on evaluating flying qualities at both subsonic and supersonic speeds.
This milestone sets the stage for demonstrating the X-59's quiet supersonic capabilities later this year. The aircraft is part of NASA's ongoing efforts to develop technology that could eventually allow supersonic flight over land, with minimal noise impact on communities below.