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NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Jet Completes First Flight in California

The program now shifts to gathering acoustic and community-response data to inform potential updates to overland supersonic noise rules.

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On it’s first flight, NASA's experimental quiet supersonic aircraft X-59 takes off from runway 7 at Palmdale USAF Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, U.S. October 28, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson
Main image: NASA's X-59 QueSST. (Image credit: Lockheed Martin). Inset: Flightradar24 track of the X-59's maiden flight. (Image credit: Flightradar24.com)

Overview

  • The experimental aircraft performed a planned subsonic shakedown on October 28, taking off from Plant 42 in Palmdale at about 8:14 a.m. and landing at NASA’s Armstrong/Edwards after roughly an hour aloft.
  • NASA test pilot Nils Larson evaluated basic handling and systems, with the flight reaching about 240 mph (370 kph) and approximately 12,000 feet, accompanied by a chase plane.
  • Engineered for a low-noise ‘sonic thump,’ the jet features a long tapered nose, a top-mounted F414-GE-100 engine, and an aft cockpit that uses an external vision system in place of a forward window.
  • Lockheed Martin and NASA say the first sortie met initial objectives, beginning months of envelope-expansion tests that will progress to transonic and supersonic runs before community overflight campaigns.
  • NASA has contracted more than US$518 million to develop and demonstrate the technology since 2018, with data from upcoming flights to be shared with the FAA and international regulators.