{"id":19863,"date":"2026-05-29T02:17:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T02:17:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/05\/29\/nasas-x-59-prepares-for-first-supersonic-flight-nasa-gov\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T02:17:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T02:17:46","slug":"nasas-x-59-prepares-for-first-supersonic-flight-nasa-gov","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/05\/29\/nasas-x-59-prepares-for-first-supersonic-flight-nasa-gov\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s X-59 Prepares for First Supersonic Flight – NASA (.gov)"},"content":{"rendered":"

6 min read
Nicolas Cholula
NASA Armstrong Public Affairs Specialist
Robert Margetta
Public Affairs Speciailst
NASA\u2019s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is preparing for some of its most significant flights yet. The X-plane is about to begin a new block of test flights that will include its first time flying faster than the speed of sound and other mission-critical objectives.
\u201cWhat comes next is the first time this one-of-a-kind aircraft will fly supersonic,\u201d said Cathy Bahm, project manager for NASA\u2019s Low Boom Flight Demonstrator. \u201cWe are starting toward the mission conditions test point that X-59 was designed for.\u201d
After months of flights, the X-59 team reviewed their progress in late May and now look toward the aircraft\u2019s next series of flight tests, including higher altitudes and faster speeds. This will give engineers a look at how the X-59 handles under required operational conditions for NASA\u2019s Quesst mission to eventually gather data on quiet supersonic flight.
The team expects the X-59 to fly supersonic \u2013 over 630 mph \u2013 for the first time at approximately 43,000 feet altitude during a series of test flights in early June, a major milestone for the aircraft. After that, it will conduct a \u201cmission conditions\u201d flight, where it will hit Mach 1.4 (925 mph) at approximately 55,000 feet. That speed and altitude are important because they\u2019re NASA\u2019s performance targets for the X-59 to eventually fly over U.S. communities to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight and collect feedback data about the aircraft’s quiet sonic \u201cthump\u201d from the public.
While the X-59 is designed to fly at supersonic speeds without producing a loud sonic boom, these early flights are not yet intended to demonstrate its quiet supersonic capabilities. The X-59 will be accompanied by a traditional supersonic chase plane, so any quiet thump it produces in the current phase of testing will be obscured by louder, traditional sonic booms from the chase. In supersonic flights this summer, the chase aircraft will also be outfitted with a specialized shock-sensing probe to take initial measurements of the X-59\u2019s shock waves.
The X-59\u2019s first block of flights successfully met several test goals, generating data for its team to analyze. After making its first flight in October 2025, it entered a scheduled period of maintenance before returning to the skies in March 2026. It has since completed 14 additional flights, marking milestones including:
Data collected during the X-59\u2019s first block of test flights helped teams better assess critical systems, including fuel, hydraulics, environmental controls, and the eXternal Vision System, which is the aircraft\u2019s unique series of cameras that feed into a monitor that allows the pilot to see forward instead of using a traditional windshield. Teams monitored how the aircraft behaved during takeoff, landing, and throughout flight. Strain gauges installed throughout the X-59 collected detailed information on the forces it experienced, and how its structure responded to them.\u202f 
During the X-59\u2019s upcoming flights, pilots will run through test points while engineers watch the aircraft\u2019s performance \u2014 but now in supersonic flight conditions. 
\u201cFlying at supersonic speeds is a major milestone for the X-59 team,\u201d Bahm said. \u201cEvery step of envelope expansion brings us closer to demonstrating the quiet supersonic capability that is at the heart of the Quesst mission. Completing the first mission-conditions flight is especially meaningful \u2013 it’s the moment where we begin validating the aircraft in the environment it was designed for.\u201d
In addition to reaching mission condition during this block of flight tests, the X-59 will also achieve its maximum speed of Mach 1.6 (1,218 mph) and altitude of 60,000 feet.
But just because the aircraft can go that fast doesn\u2019t mean it always will fly supersonic. Testing will continue, including a mix of subsonic and lower-altitude flights so the team can continue monitoring it in varied conditions.
\u201cThese flights not only deepen our confidence in the X-59’s performance \u2013 they mark our progression toward the future phases of the mission that will ultimately help shape the future of supersonic travel,\u201d Bahm said.
All flights so far and in the upcoming test block are part of Phase 1 of the X-59’s Quesst mission, focused on proving the performance and airworthiness of the aircraft. Some of those flights will include early deployment of equipment, including a probe mounted to one of NASA\u2019s F-15 research aircraft that can measure the X-59\u2019s unique shock wave signature.
Data gathered during those early probing flights will allow engineers to prepare for a new stage of work set to begin later this year: Quesst Phase 2, when teams will begin to measure the aircraft\u2019s supersonic flight signature to verify that it\u2019s producing a quiet supersonic thump, as designed.
\u201cAviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal said, \u2018To design a flying machine is nothing. To build one is something. But to fly is everything.\u2019 The 15 X-59 flights we\u2019ve accomplished since March have been everything to this team and the mission,\u201d Bahm said. \u201cEvery flight has pushed the boundaries of what\u2019s possible, steadily expanding the envelope and strengthening our confidence in the aircraft.\u201d
But, she said, rather than focusing on past progress, the team is already looking ahead.
\u201cAs we look ahead to the upcoming flights, we\u2019re poised to open the envelope even further \u2013 moving boldly toward the mission test point this aircraft was built to achieve,\u201d Bahm said. \u201cFlying supersonic and reaching these milestones isn\u2019t just progress; it\u2019s the realization of years of perseverance, innovation, and teamwork. Each step brings us closer to Phase 2, and to the future of commercial supersonic flight.\u201d 
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6 min readNicolas CholulaNASA Armstrong Public Affairs SpecialistRobert MargettaPublic Affairs SpeciailstNASA\u2019s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is preparing for some of its most significant flights yet. The X-plane is about to begin a new block of test flights that will include its first time flying faster than the speed of sound and other mission-critical objectives.\u201cWhat […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19864,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19863"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19863\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}