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NASA will hold a media teleconference at 5:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 19 to highlight plans for its X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft\u2019s upcoming flight tests. The teleconference is set to take place after the X-59 is scheduled to complete its second flight, in California.<\/p>\n
For the media call, NASA leadership will join representatives from the Quesst mission and contractor Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. The X-59\u2019s test pilots will be available to answer questions about what it\u2019s like to fly the aircraft and how they prepare for flights.<\/p>\n
The news conference will stream on NASA\u2019s\u00a0YouTube\u00a0channel. An instant replay will be available online. Learn how to\u00a0watch NASA\u00a0content on a variety of platforms, including social media.<\/p>\n
Participants include:<\/p>\n
To participate in the virtual call, members of the media must RSVP no later than two hours before the start of the event to: kristen.m.hatfield@nasa.gov. NASA\u2019s media accreditation policy is available online.<\/p>\n
For second flight, the X-59 will taxi from its hangar at NASA Armstrong, then take off and land at nearby Edwards Air Force Base. The aircraft will fly for roughly an hour, reaching a cruising speed of 230 mph at 12,000 feet before accelerating to 260 mph at 20,000 feet.<\/p>\n
This flight will kick off a series of flights known as envelope expansion, during which NASA will gradually take the X-59 faster and higher to ensure the aircraft\u2019s safety and assess its performance. This phase will be followed by flights assessing the X-59\u2019s unique acoustic profile. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA\u2019s Quesst mission and was developed to fly supersonic, or faster than the speed of sound, without generating loud sonic booms.<\/p>\n
Through Quesst, NASA is working to make commercial supersonic flight over land possible, dramatically reducing travel time in the United States or anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n
To learn more about X-59 visit:<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n -end-<\/p>\n Rob Margetta Kristen Hatfield
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0918
robert.j.margetta@nasa.gov\u00a0<\/p>\n
NASA Langley, Virginia
757-817-5522
kristen.m.hatfield@nasa.gov<\/p>\n<\/div>\n