How NASA Is Using F-15s to Unlock Supersonic Flight

Space agency doubles the jet fighter research fleet for its X-59 quiet supersonic flight program.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 02:30 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Two retired Air Force F-15 Eagles arrived in December at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, where they will support quiet supersonic flight research. [Credit: NASA/Christopher LC Clark]

Key Takeaways:

Retired U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagles will support NASA's experimental X-59 aircraft in groundbreaking research to lift the FAA's 53-year ban on supersonic flight over land.
The X-59, central to NASA's Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QUESST) program, is designed to reduce loud sonic booms to quieter "sonic thumps."
The F-15s will serve as chase planes, monitoring flights, collecting data, and carrying instrumentation to measure the X-59's shock waves during its testing phases.
Data from X-59's community survey flights, which will assess public perception of its reduced noise, will inform the FAA in establishing new standards for commercial supersonic flight over land.

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A pair of retired U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagles could be instrumental in the effort to lift the FAA’s nearly 53-year ban on supersonic flight over land.

The F-15s are slated to partake in groundbreaking research at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, where the experimental X-59—codeveloped by NASA and Lockheed Martin—landed in October following its debut test flight. They will support the X-59, which is designed to reduce the noise of sonic booms to quieter “sonic thumps,” as it continues testing over the deserts of California this year.