NASA’s X-59 Makes History with First Supersonic Flight
In a momentous occasion for aviation, NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft surpassed the speed of sound for the first time on Friday, June 5, 2026. This groundbreaking test flight, lasting 81 minutes, both took off and landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. At the helm was NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less, who managed to reach a top speed of approximately Mach 1.1 (713 mph) at an altitude of 43,400 feet.
This achievement marks a crucial advancement in NASA’s Quesst mission. The mission’s goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of supersonic flight over land without causing a disruptive sonic boom. The X-59, a product of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, is engineered to produce a quiet “thump” — comparable to the sound of a car door closing — instead of a traditional sonic boom. The aircraft measures 99.7 feet in length, has a 29.5-foot wingspan, and is powered by a General Electric F414 engine.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman reported that the aircraft has completed 16 flights in the past 90 days. The team anticipates reaching Mach 1.4 (925 mph) at 55,000 feet in the near future — the critical target altitude for upcoming community noise surveys. The information collected will be shared with domestic and international regulators, with the potential to redefine the regulations surrounding commercial supersonic flight over land, a practice that has been prohibited in the U.S. since 1973.
Source: NASA.gov – NASA’s X-59 Aircraft Flies Supersonic for First Time