NASA’s X-59 May Be Days Away From Supersonic Flight

Agency says the experimental, quiet aircraft is expected to break the sound barrier in early June.

Jack Daleo

Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Zach Vasile

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies over Rogers Dry Lake near Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on May 12, 2026. [NASA/Jim Ross]

Key Takeaways:

NASA's X-59 experimental aircraft, engineered to reduce sonic booms to a quiet "thump" via unique design features, is slated for its first supersonic flight in early June.
This development is part of the Quesst project, which seeks to validate the X-59's quiet supersonic capability through extensive flight testing and noise measurements.
The ultimate goal is to conduct community noise surveys, providing data to lawmakers and regulators that could inform a reversal of the ban on commercial supersonic flight over land.

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NASA and Lockheed Martin’s quiet supersonic X-59 could break the sound barrier for the first time in the coming days, the space agency said Thursday.

NASA said it is targeting early June for the X-59’s first supersonic sortie, about seven months after its debut flight in October. The experimental aircraft’s long, slender nose and other unique features are designed to reduce the volume of sonic booms to a quieter sonic “thump,” akin to a car door shutting in the distance.