DistantNews
Support us
NASA's X-59 Completes First Supersonic Flight, Paving Way for Quiet Technology
๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ณ Vietnam /Technology

NASA's X-59 Completes First Supersonic Flight, Paving Way for Quiet Technology

From Tuแป•i Trแบป · () Vietnamese

Translated from Vietnamese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • NASA's X-59 experimental aircraft completed its first supersonic flight on June 5, reaching Mach 1.1.
  • The flight is a key step toward demonstrating quiet supersonic technology, with NASA aiming for a public demonstration by late 2026.
  • The X-59 is designed to produce a quiet thump instead of a loud sonic boom, potentially enabling supersonic commercial flights over land.

NASA's X-59 experimental aircraft achieved a significant milestone on June 5, completing its inaugural supersonic flight. Piloted by Jim "Clue" Less, the aircraft took off and landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California, reaching a top speed of approximately Mach 1.1, or over 1,300 km/h, at an altitude of 13.2 km.

This flight marks a crucial step in NASA's quest to develop quiet supersonic technology. The agency plans to publicly demonstrate the aircraft's quiet supersonic capabilities by the end of 2026. Since its first flight on October 28, 2025, the X-59 has undergone extensive testing, with 16 flights conducted in the past 90 days, establishing a steady testing rhythm.

X-59 is preparing for a quiet supersonic debut.

โ€” Jared IsaacmanNASA Director Jared Isaacman commented on the X-59's progress and future plans.

NASA is preparing to push the boundaries further, with plans to increase the speed to Mach 1.4 in the coming days. The next phase of testing will focus on the X-59's acoustic configuration, aiming to confirm its ability to generate a quiet thump rather than a disruptive sonic boom. This technology is central to NASA's Quest mission, which seeks to make supersonic commercial flights over land a global reality.

This flight sets the stage for the aircraft's quiet supersonic demonstrations.

โ€” NASANASA stated the significance of the recent flight in a press release.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tuแป•i Trแบป in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog