NASA's Quiet-Supersonic X-59 Surpasses Sound Barrier in Landmark Flight
TL;DR Summary
NASA’s X-59 completed an 81‑minute test flight from Edwards AFB, reaching about Mach 1.1 (713 mph) at 43,400 feet—the first time the quiet-supersonic aircraft breached the speed of sound with its planned ‘quiet thump’ concept; the test aimed to advance over-land commercial supersonic flight by reducing noise, with future Mach 1.4 flights to gather data on public perception to help set new noise standards, monitored by a chase plane.
- Watch NASA’s Quiet Supersonic Jet Break the Sound Barrier for the First Time Gizmodo
- NASA’s X-59 Aircraft Flies Supersonic for First Time NASA (.gov)
- NASA’s new supersonic plane notches key milestone Scientific American
- In early June 2026, the X-59 is expected to cross Mach 1 at 43,000 feet, the first sharp proof point in NASA's fifty-year attempt to turn an overland sonic boom into a certifiable thump Space Daily
- NASA's X-59 jet is ready to break the sound barrier for the 1st time this month Space
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