US EditionQuiet supersonic X-59 jet soars over California desert in first test flight
The X-59 flew at 230 mph reaching 12,000 feet, aiming to enable supersonic travel over land without loud booms, potentially lifting long-standing restrictions.
- On Oct. 28, 2025, NASA and Lockheed Martin's X-59 completed its first flight, taking off from Palmdale Regional Airport at 1413 GMT and landing near Armstrong Flight Research Center.
- Funded with more than $518 million, NASA's X-59 was designed to fly faster than sound without loud sonic booms, with program data informing new noise thresholds for supersonic over land.
- Flying oval-shaped racetrack patterns over Edwards Air Force Base, the single-engine X-59, just under 100 feet , reached 230 mph and 12,000 feet .
- Skunk Works will continue to lead the X-59's initial test campaign as it resides at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center to measure sound and conduct community acceptance testing in the coming months.
- If the X-59 proves quiet, regulators could consider lifting restrictions, enabling commercial supersonic flight over land and benefiting disaster relief and medical transport.
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The U.S. Space Agency is experimenting with a jet that could overcome a major barrier to commercial supersonic flights: the bang when the sound barrier breaks through. The U.S. Department of Transportation sees potential for scheduled traffic.
The first X-59 test flight, a NASA pilot plane designed to pass the sound barrier at the same time as less noise, took place on March over the desert south of California, U.S.A., which opens the way for travelers...
X-59, NASA's Quiet Supersonic Jet, Flies Over US Desert In First Test Flight
NASA's X-59 supersonic-but-quiet jet soared over the Southern California desert on Tuesday in the first test flight of an experimental aircraft designed to break the sound barrier with little noise, paving the way for faster commercial air travel.
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Space DailyX-59 Completes First Flight in Quest to Reduce Supersonic Boom
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 29, 2025 Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and NASA achieved the first flight of the X-59 supersonic aircraft, marking a step toward commercial supersonic travel over land. The aircraft departed from U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, and landed at NASA's ...
Quiet supersonic X-59 jet soars over California desert in first test flight
NASA's X-59 supersonic-but-quiet jet soared over the Southern California desert on Tuesday in the first test flight of an experimental aircraft designed to break the sound barrier with little noise, paving the way for faster commercial air travel.
Quiet supersonic X-59 jet soars over California desert in first test flight | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
PALMDALE, California >> NASA’s X-59 supersonic-but-quiet jet soared over the Southern California desert on Tuesday in the first test flight of an experimental aircraft designed to break the sound barrier with little noise, paving the way for faster commercial air travel.
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