NASA's X-59 Hits Flight Conditions for Future Quiet Supersonic Tests

NASA said the X-59 experimental supersonic plane has reached the flight conditions needed for its mission, hitting Mach 1.4 at 55,000 feet for the first time. The agency described the milestone as a prerequisite for the aircraft to perform the supersonic flights that are central to the program.

The X-59 is designed to produce a softer sonic "thump" rather than the sharp boom typical of supersonic flight. The altitude and speed combination achieved in the latest test flights match the envelope where those quiet supersonic runs will take place, NASA said.

The program's next phase will involve flying over selected communities to measure public response to the reduced noise signature. Regulators at the FAA and international bodies have said data from the X-59 tests could inform future rules on supersonic flight over land, which is currently banned in U.S. airspace.

A prototype built by Lockheed Martin under contract to NASA, the X-59 has been in development for several years. The project aims to show that a shaped airframe can suppress the pressure waves that cause sonic booms, potentially opening commercial supersonic travel over populated areas. NASA said additional test flights are scheduled to expand the performance envelope before the community overflight campaigns begin.