NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flew faster than the speed of sound for the first time on Friday, reaching approximately Mach 1.1 during an 81-minute test flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California.
NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less flew the aircraft to an altitude of 43,400 feet during the flight, which began at 11:08 a.m. PDT, according to NASA.
The agency said the flight was focused on evaluating the aircraft’s handling qualities at subsonic and supersonic speeds. An F-15 chase plane accompanied the X-59 during the flight, although NASA said the F-15’s sonic booms prevented crews from evaluating the X-59’s sound signature during the test.
“X-59 is getting ready for its quiet supersonic debut,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said. “Since the aircraft’s first flight on Oct. 28, 2025, the team has made tremendous progress, flying 16 times in the last 90 days and getting into a steady test rhythm. In the coming days, we expect to take the next step and push to Mach 1.4.”
NASA said the upcoming flight is expected to take the aircraft to about 55,000 feet at Mach 1.4, the conditions planned for future community overflights under the agency’s Quesst mission. The program is intended to collect public response data on the aircraft’s reduced sonic signature for consideration by U.S. and international regulators as they evaluate future noise standards for supersonic flight over land.
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