NASA's X-59 Nears First Supersonic Flight Above 630 mph as Quesst Targets Mach 1.4
Updated
Updated · NASA · May 28
NASA's X-59 Nears First Supersonic Flight Above 630 mph as Quesst Targets Mach 1.4
7 articles · Updated · NASA · May 28
Early June test flights are set to take the X-59 past the speed of sound for the first time—above 630 mph at about 43,000 feet—marking a key milestone in NASA’s quiet-supersonic Quesst program.
The new flight block will push the aircraft toward mission conditions of Mach 1.4, or 925 mph, at roughly 55,000 feet, where engineers can assess how it performs in the environment it was designed for.
NASA said these initial supersonic flights will not yet prove the jet’s quiet-thump capability because a traditional supersonic chase plane will mask any reduced boom; that aircraft will also carry a shock-sensing probe this summer.
Since returning to flight in March 2026, the X-59 has completed 15 flights, reached Mach 0.95 and 43,000 feet, and gathered system and structural data needed for Phase 1 airworthiness and performance checks.
Later this year, Quesst Phase 2 is slated to begin measuring the X-59’s actual supersonic signature, a step toward future overland demonstrations above U.S. communities and potential commercial supersonic travel.
After 50 years, will NASA's quiet 'thump' finally make supersonic jets flying over your city a daily reality?
Can NASA's X-59 overcome extreme heat that threatens to warp its shape, a key hurdle for commercial jets?