Tail Installed On NASA X-59 Supersonic Demonstrator

NASA has announced that the final installation of the tail assembly on its X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) research aircraft is complete. The work took place at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, where the aircraft returned a year ago following a series of tests in Fort Worth, Texas. The X-59 is expected to fly for the first time later this year.

“This installation allows the team to continue final wiring and system checkouts on the aircraft as it prepares for integrated ground testing, which will include engine runs and taxi tests,” NASA said. “Once complete, the X-59 aircraft is designed to demonstrate the ability to fly supersonic while reducing the loud sonic boom to a quiet sonic thump.”

NASA hopes to use the X-59 to gather data that will help regulators write and adopt new rules regarding commercial supersonic flight over land. The QueSST program is also looking to document human responses to the X-59’s “quiet sonic thump” with a series of flights over U.S. cities slated to begin in 2025. The aircraft will reportedly be capable of travelling at a top speed of Mach 1.4 and reaching altitudes of up to 55,000 feet.