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NASA\u2019s quiet supersonic X-59 aircraft\u00a0made\u00a0its\u00a0second flight on Friday, kicking off a\u00a0series of dozens of\u00a0test\u00a0flights in\u00a02026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although the flight duration was\u00a0abbreviated\u00a0due to a\u00a0technical issue,\u00a0the team was able to\u00a0collect information that will inform\u00a0future tests.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite the early landing, this is a good day for the team. We\u00a0collected more\u00a0data, and\u00a0the pilot\u00a0landed safely,\u201d\u00a0said Cathy Bahm, project\u00a0manager for NASA\u2019s Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator at NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Edwards, California.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re looking forward to getting back to flight as soon as possible.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0aircraft\u00a0took off at\u00a010:54 a.m.\u00a0PDT from Edwards Air Force Base, near NASA Armstrong.\u00a0Several minutes into the flight,\u00a0pilot Jim \u201cClue\u201d Less saw\u00a0a\u00a0vehicle system warning in the aircraft\u2019s\u00a0cockpit. Following\u00a0flight\u00a0procedures,\u00a0the\u00a0aircraft\u00a0landed\u00a0at 11:03 a.m.\u00a0after a\u00a0return-to-base\u00a0was\u00a0called.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we like to say, it was just like the simulator \u2013 and that\u2019s what we like to hear,\u201d Less said. \u201cThis is just the beginning of a long flight campaign.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The X-59 is designed to\u00a0fly supersonic\u00a0\u2013\u00a0or faster than the speed of sound\u00a0\u2013\u00a0while generating only a quiet thump instead of a loud sonic boom. The X-59 is\u00a0the centerpiece of NASA\u2019s\u00a0Quesst\u00a0mission,\u00a0which\u00a0is working to make commercial supersonic flight over land a reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0aircraft is set to accelerate testing in 2026,\u00a0demonstrating performance and airworthiness during a process known as envelope expansion, where it will\u00a0gradually\u00a0fly\u00a0faster and higher,\u00a0on its way to\u00a0supersonic speeds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n