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NASA\u2019s\u00a0experimental\u00a0<\/strong>X-59\u00a0aircraft\u00a0marked\u00a0a major milestone\u00a0Friday,\u00a0June\u00a05,\u00a0when it\u00a0flew faster than the speed of sound for the first time,\u00a0setting the stage for\u00a0demonstrating\u00a0its quiet supersonic capabilities\u00a0later this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n NASA test pilot Jim \u201cClue\u201d Less\u00a0took off\u00a0and landed\u00a0at Edwards Air Force Base\u00a0in California, reaching a top speed of\u00a0approximately\u00a0Mach\u00a01.1\u00a0(713\u00a0mph)\u00a0and altitude of\u00a043,400 feet.\u00a0The\u00a0X-59\u2019s\u00a0flight began at\u00a011:08\u00a0a.m.\u00a0PDT\u00a0and lasted 81\u00a0minutes,\u00a0with\u00a0the team focusing on flying qualities\u00a0at\u00a0both subsonic and then supersonic speeds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n jared isaacman<\/p>\n NASA Administrator<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201dX-59 is getting ready for its quiet supersonic debut. Since the aircraft\u2019s first flight on Oct. 28, 2025, the team has made tremendous progress,\u00a0flying\u00a016\u00a0times\u00a0in the last 90 days and getting into a steady test rhythm. In the coming days, we expect to take the next step and push to Mach 1.4,\u201d said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman \u201cI\u2019m grateful to the NASA team and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works for their help getting us to this point, and I hope this is the first of many collaborations as we rebuild NASA\u2019s X-plane portfolio.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The X-59 is designed to fly\u00a0at\u00a0supersonic\u00a0speeds\u00a0while creating only a quiet thump instead of a loud sonic boom.\u00a0For this flight, a\u00a0NASA F\u201115 chase plane flew nearby to\u00a0monitor\u00a0the X\u201159.\u00a0The\u00a0loud sonic booms from\u00a0the F-15\u00a0obscured\u00a0any sound made by the X-59.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe X-59\u2019s first supersonic flight is a testament to America\u2019s enduring leadership in science, engineering, and aerospace innovation,\u201d said Michael Kratsios,\u00a0Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.\u00a0\u201cThis achievement comes as the Trump Administration continues work to unleash supersonic flight and enable American ingenuity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n This\u00a0first supersonic\u00a0flight is\u00a0a\u00a0significant\u00a0milestone, but\u00a0an\u00a0event\u00a0even\u00a0more critical to\u00a0the mission is upcoming. In just days, the\u00a0aircraft\u00a0is expected to make\u00a0its first\u00a0\u201cmission conditions\u201d flight, reaching a\u00a0cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (925 mph) and altitude of approximately 55,000 feet. The X-59\u00a0also\u00a0will be\u00a0accompanied by a chase plane\u00a0for this flight.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n This\u00a0speed and\u00a0altitude\u00a0are\u00a0the\u00a0base\u00a0conditions for the X-59 when it will eventually fly over several U.S. communities enabling NASA to gather data about how people\u00a0may\u00a0perceive its\u00a0quiet thump.\u00a0NASA will share this data\u00a0with U.S. and international regulators to help\u00a0establish\u00a0new\u00a0data-driven noise standards\u00a0to\u00a0enable a future\u00a0viable\u00a0market for\u00a0supersonic commercial flight over land.\u00a0<\/p>\n For the last several months, the\u00a0X-59\u00a0has been\u00a0participating\u00a0in an ongoing series of flights where the plane has been\u00a0flying at a wide range of speeds and altitudes\u00a0\u2013\u00a0a process known as envelope expansion.<\/em>\u00a0These tests are the first\u00a0phase of the X-59\u2019s flight testing. They are\u00a0focused on performance\u00a0and involve chase plane monitoring.\u00a0When\u00a0the\u00a0aircraft\u00a0completes this\u00a0phase\u00a0it will enter another,\u00a0focused on its sound profile\u00a0in order\u00a0to\u00a0verify\u00a0its quiet\u00a0thump capability.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA\u2019s\u00a0Quesst mission, which aims to\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0quiet supersonic flight\u00a0and help enable commercial supersonic flight over land worldwide.\u00a0These advancements will help\u00a0travelers\u00a0reach their preferred destinations faster,\u00a0spending less time in the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n Through\u00a0Quesst\u2019s\u00a0development of the X-59, NASA\u00a0also\u00a0will\u00a0deliver design tools and technology for quiet supersonic airliners that will achieve the high speeds\u00a0desired\u00a0by commercial operators without\u00a0disturbing\u00a0people on the ground. NASA will\u00a0validate\u00a0design tools through ground and flight testing,\u00a0providing\u00a0U.S.\u00a0aircraft\u00a0manufacturers the ability to explore new quiet supersonic concepts,\u00a0and\u00a0provide them with\u00a0confidence that their resulting\u00a0designs\u00a0will meet\u00a0quiet flight\u00a0requirements.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n