
NASA's Quiet-Supersonic X-59 Surpasses Sound Barrier in Landmark Flight
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.












