US EditionQuiet supersonic X-59 jet soars over California desert in first test flight
NASA's X-59 flew its first test flight to validate quiet supersonic technology, aiming to reduce sonic booms to a thump and enable future commercial supersonic travel.
- At 10:13 a.m. EDT, the X-59 took off from Plant 42 in Palmdale and landed near Armstrong, completing its first flight, according to Lockheed's Skunk Works.
- Funded with more than $518 million, the X-59 was designed to fly faster than sound without producing loud sonic booms, and program data will inform new noise thresholds.
- Flying oval-shaped racetrack patterns over Edwards Air Force Base, the single-engine X-59, just under 100 feet , reached 230 mph and a peak altitude of 12,000 feet .
- NASA will continue to lead the X-59's initial test campaign, and the jet will reside at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center for sound and community testing in the coming months.
- Successful tests position the X-59 to influence rules governing supersonic flights, as if it proves quiet, commercial supersonic flight over land could benefit disaster relief and medical transport.
120 Articles
120 Articles
NASA’s quiet X-59 jet capable of speeds of 925 mph completes first test flight
NASA's sleek and quiet supersonic X-59 jet — which is built to reach speeds of up to 925 mph — soared across the California desert in its first test flight on Tuesday, bringing speedy global trips one step closer to the average traveler.
Associated Press News
NASA takes one step closer to launching quiet supersonic jets
NASA and Lockheed Martin have successfully tested a supersonic jet designed to minimize noise. The X-59 jet took its first flight over the southern California desert, marking a potential step toward faster commercial travel.
NASA's supersonic jet completes its first flight in California
Nearly a decade after NASA partnered with Lockheed Martin to build the X-59, the supersonic jet has completed its first flight in California, according to a press release spotted by Gizmodo. The X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (Quesst) aircraft is designed to reach supersonic speeds without the "sonic boom," and now with this latest test flight complete, NASA and Lockheed plan to conduct future tests to measure the X-59's "sound signature and c…
The X-59 made its first flight in collaboration with NASA.
The X-59, NASA's supersonic experimental aircraft, made its first flight to California. Developed in partnership with Lockheed Martin, it promises to cross the sound wall in silence, or almost.
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