NASA's X-59 Jet Goes Supersonic For First Time In Key Flight Test

A quiet aircraft designed to change the future of air travel has reached an important stage in testing. NASA's experimental X-59 aircraft flew faster than the speed of sound for the first time on June 5, moving the project closer to demonstrating quiet supersonic flight later this year, reported NASA.

NASA test pilot Jim "Clue" Less flew the X-59 from Edwards Air Force Base in California. During the flight, the aircraft reached a top speed of about Mach 1.1, and climbed to an altitude of 43,400 feet. The flight began at 11:08 am PDT and lasted 81 minutes. The team focused on evaluating the aircraft's handling at both subsonic and supersonic speeds.

The X-59 has been designed to travel at supersonic speeds while producing only a quiet thump instead of the loud sonic boom normally associated with breaking the sound barrier. During the flight, a NASA F-15 chase plane flew nearby to monitor the aircraft. The sonic booms created by the F-15 made it difficult to detect any sound produced by the X-59.

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While the first supersonic flight marks a major achievement, NASA is preparing for another important test. In the coming days, the X-59 is expected to carry out its first "mission conditions" flight, reaching a cruising speed of Mach 1.4, or 925 mph, and an altitude of about 55,000 feet. A chase plane will also accompany the aircraft during that mission.

For several months, the X-59 has been taking part in a series of tests known as envelope expansion, during which the aircraft flies at different speeds and altitudes. This phase of testing is focused on performance and includes monitoring by chase planes. After completing this stage, the aircraft will move into a new phase focused on verifying its quiet-thump sound profile.