NASA’s X-59 Aircraft Flies Supersonic for First Time
5 Jun 2026, 20:44 GMT
By Jim Banke
Topic: Aeronautics
Source URL: https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/x-59-first-supersonic-flight/
NASA’s experimental X-59 aircraft marked a major milestone Friday, June 5, when it flew faster than the speed of sound for the first time, setting the stage for demonstrating its quiet supersonic capabilities later this year. NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less took off and landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California, reaching a top speed of approximately Mach 1.1 (713 mph) and altitude of 43,400 feet. The X-59’s flight began at 11:08 a.m. PDT and lasted 81 minutes, with the team focusing on flying qualities at both subsonic and then