NASA’s quiet Supersonic Jet X-59 completes first flight over California desert
NASA’s experimental supersonic jet, the X-59, has completed its first successful test flight over the California desert. Developed with Lockheed Martin, the jet is designed to fly faster than sound while drastically reducing the loud sonic boom to a gentle ‘thump’.
NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft made its maiden flight over Southern California on Tuesday (28 October 2025), in a milestone flight for aviation. The aircraft, which is built by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works, took off just after sunrise yesterday from Plant 42 in Palmdale and climbed steeply before it headed towards Edwards Air Force Base, from where it landed safely after roughly an hour.
NASA test pilot Nils Larson flew the single-seat jet, which was followed by a NASA chase plane during the flight.
Built to minimise the sonic boom!
The X-59 has a slender, pointed nose and an air-cushion shape that reduces the sonic boom that generally occurs when aircraft break the sound barrier. Rather than an ear-splitting boom, the plane leaves a gentle "sonic thump" behind—a development that may one day render supersonic flight over populated areas feasible again.
NASA indicates the plane seeks to establish new sound barriers for future supersonic commercial travel. The move could open the way for the use of airliners capable of flying at Mach 1.4 (1,490 km/h) without bothering the inhabitants on the ground.
A costly but historic project from NASA
NASA has spent more than USD 518 million since 2018 to take the X-59 from design to flight. The nearly 100-foot (30-metre) jet was flown at a subsonic speed of 230 mph (370 km/h) and climbed to 12,000 feet (3,660 metres) on this inaugural flight. Subsequent test phases will incrementally increase altitude and speed up to breaking the sound barrier.
A new chapter for Supersonic aviation
The X-59 mission, or Quesst, seeks to revive the vision of supersonic commercial flight following the retirement of Concorde in 2003. The aircraft was recently declared "2025's Coolest Thing Made in California", which speaks volumes of its innovation and the ability to revolutionise aviation.
This is a historic achievement in aviation technology; the successful flight of the NASA X-59 is a milestone that integrates speed, quietness, and sustainability. While NASA tests further, the information gathered is expected to inform future regulations for overland quiet supersonic flight, paving the way for a new future where people fly between continents in half the time — without disturbing the world below.