NASA’s quiet supersonic X-59 aircraft. © NASA/Jim Ross
NASA’s quiet X-59 supersonic aircraft completed its second flight on Friday, starting a series of test flights planned for 2026.
The flight was cut short due to a technical issue, but engineers still gathered useful data for future tests.
The aircraft took off at 10:54 a.m. from Edwards Air Force Base. A few minutes later, pilot Jim “Clue” Less noticed a system warning in the cockpit. Following safety procedures, he returned to base and landed at 11:03 a.m.
The X-59 is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound while producing only a soft thump rather than a loud sonic boom. It is a key part of NASA’s Quesst mission, which aims to make supersonic commercial flights over land possible.
Why this matters:
The success of the quiet X-59 supersonic aircraft program will reveal the way to recommence the commercial supersonic flights, after the Concord stopped some years ago, mainly due to the sonic boom.
Cathy Bahm, project manager for NASA’s Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Edwards, California, said:
“Despite the early landing, this is a good day for the team. We collected more data, and the pilot landed safely. We’re looking forward to getting back to flight as soon as possible.”
“As we like to say, it was just like the simulator – and that’s what we like to hear,” Less said. “This is just the beginning of a long flight campaign.”
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