NASA’s X-59 Flies Supersonic for First Time | Armstrong Flight Research Center

NASA’s X-59 Flies Supersonic for First Time | Armstrong Flight Research Center

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft completed its first supersonic flight Friday, June 5, 2026, marking the first time the aircraft exceeded the speed of sound in support of NASA’s Quesst Mission. The milestone represents a major step in flight testing as the aircraft expands into the supersonic portion of its flight envelope. The display shows Mach 1.07, but the aircraft is actually at Mach 1.0. The difference comes from the system's calibration. This makes the shown value slightly higher than the true speed. The calibration will continue fine-tuning as we expand the X-59's flight envelope.

Keep up with the latest about X-59: 
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/quesst/

The X-59 aircraft builds on decades of supersonic flight research and is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission. The vast amount of data collected over the years has given designers the tools they needed to craft the shape of the X-59. The goal is to enable the aircraft to fly at supersonic speeds and reduce a loud sonic boom to a quieter “sonic thump.”

Data gathered during X-59 research flights will be shared with the U.S. and international regulators to inform the establishment of new, data-driven acceptable noise thresholds related to supersonic commercial flight over land.

The X-59’s engine, a modified F414-GE-100, packs 22,000 pounds of thrust. This will enable the X-59 to achieve the desired cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (925 miles per hour) at an altitude of approximately 55,000 feet. It sits in a nontraditional spot–atop the aircraft—to aid in making the X-59 quieter.

The X-59's goal is to help change existing national and international aviation rules that ban commercial supersonic flight over land.

Learn more about NASA's Quesst mission: https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/quesst/

Video Credit: NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC)
Duration: 44 seconds
Release Date: June 5, 2026

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