Particle.news
Download on the App Store
21 ARTICLES
·
6h ago

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

The milestone begins testing to prove the low‑boom concept, targeting data regulators could use to revise overland supersonic rules.

Image
Image
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

  • NASA and Lockheed Martin’s X-59 took off from Plant 42 in Palmdale on October 28 and landed at NASA’s Armstrong/Edwards facility after a planned subsonic shakedown.
  • NASA test pilot Nils Larson flew the jet at about 230–240 mph to roughly 12,000 feet, evaluating basic handling and systems with a NASA chase plane in trail.
  • The QueSST program aims to turn a traditional sonic boom into a quieter “thump” and to deliver acoustic data to U.S. and international regulators for potential rulemaking.
  • Upcoming phases will expand the flight envelope to supersonic speeds, measure sound signatures, and conduct community overflights to gauge public response.
  • The Skunk Works–built aircraft is nearly 100 feet long and features a long tapered nose, a top‑mounted F414‑GE‑100 engine, and an eXternal Vision System; NASA has invested over $518 million since 2018, with target cruise performance of Mach 1.4 at about 55,000 feet.